Keep Calm
by Tigergirl
Summary: Wheeler was always a loudmouth. He never thought there might be a reason Wheeler was always so loud.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Keep Calm

 **Author:** Tigergirl

 **Rated: M**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters. I don't gain any benefits from writing about it.

 **Summary:** Wheeler was always a loudmouth clout. He never thought there might be a reason Wheeler was always so loud.

 **CHAPTER ONE**

His family found out about his loss when he was very young. The daycare had been having problems with him at school so they had done some testing. It was revealed that Joey couldn't response to sounds consistently. With his father busy at work, his mother had taken him to an audiologist who had revealed Joey had a moderate hearing loss.

His mother had blamed herself. She swore she should have noticed sooner. The Audiologist recommended hearing aids and speech therapy. Joey's mother took a job to help pay for the hearing aids. Joey was fit for his first pair of hearing aids at the age of five and a half. By this time, he had been receiving speech therapy and had come into his own voice.

His _loud_ voice.

"He may never lose that," the Speech Therapist had explained.

After his sister was born and his parents fought, Joey's hearing aids got lost in all the chaos. By the time he had found them, the molds didn't fit his ears anymore and the only thing his father bought was booze.

Joey sighed. He had money sitting out in front of him on his bedspread from the odd jobs over the past year. He was trying desperately to save up money for a new hearing test and new hearing aids. He knew no doctor would order him hearing aids without seeing him for a test first.

He ran a rough hand over his face. School had been hard for him since moving to Domino with his father after his mother and sister left. Half his school records had been lost, including the early paperwork of his hearing loss. He had learned how to lip-read which came in handy in school.

Joey sighed again. Not that it did him a whole lot of good. The teachers weren't aware of his hearing loss and, given his reputation in school, they didn't care. So he didn't bother trying to share with them. He went on trying his best and working hard to get what he needed. It really hurt that he was seated at the back in every class so being far from the teacher made it hard, if not impossible, to actually hear his teachers.

His friends never suspected anything either. They mistook his behavior for attention problems so they always made sure Joey was looking at them when they talked. They unknowingly helped him to better communicate with them.

He loved dueling because it was so visual and he didn't have to guess what was happening around him. Releasing yet another sigh, Joey gathered up all his money, stashed it away in an old shoebox, and returned it to his hiding space.

Noticing the late hour, Joey snatched up his backpack and bolted out of his apartment. He jogged down the sidewalk, pausing only to wait for a crosswalk light to go. As he walked up on a busy newsstand, he pulled out some spare change he had set aside. He snatched up a spare newspaper and tossed the coins to the owner. The man waved him off like usual.

Joey tucked the newspaper away into his backpack to look at it later. He jogged the rest of the way to the school. He jerked to a quick stop at the school driveway entrance. Not five seconds after, an expensive car rolled past right where he would have been. Joey shook his head as he walked the rest of the way up to the front doors.

"One of these days he's gonna run me over," Joey mumbled.

He cast a glance over his shoulder to see Kaiba stepping out of his car. As usual, he had his phone glued to his ear. Turning his head back around, Joey rolled his eyes. He walked down the hallway, weaving around students and staff. He knew his friends would already be in the classroom so he headed straight there.

"Joey! There you are, man!" Tristan called across the room, waving his arm.

Joey waved. He walked over to where Téa and Yugi were dueling. Ryou was sitting on a desk watching while Yami leaned against it. Yami glanced up at Joey and nodded his head before dropping his gaze back to the duel. Joey walked around the group to stand next to Tristan.

"Hey, where's Dice Boy at?" Joey asked.

Tristan bumped his shoulder against him. Joey turned his head to look at him.

"Duke caught that bug that's going around," Tristan explained.

Joey made a face. "He can keep it."

Tristan nodded in agreement. A few minutes later, the bell rang and everyone moved around to their seats. Kaiba came in the door just before the teacher. Joey rolled his eyes as the male sat down in the desk in front of him. Homeroom and first class of the day was a pain.

Because Kaiba was slightly taller than him, Joey had a hard time looking around him to see the teacher. So the blonde had taken to scooting his chair and desk over a tad. When he stretched out his legs, his left foot was able to rest against the back of Kaiba's chair leg.

"Listen up, class! I have a few announcements to make," the teacher announced.

Joey focused in on her. There were a few words he missed, but he got most of the messages.

"…yearbook…sale…payment due…"

After the announcements, Math class began. Joey enjoyed math class out of all his classes. Math was visual and written all over the board. What he didn't catch in the verbal instruction from the teacher, he caught up with the written instructions on the board.

Class started with review from last week and the teacher passing tests back. When his teacher placed his test facedown on his desk, Joey sucked in a deep breath. He lifted the edge slowly, revealing streaks of red. He said a quick prayer before flipping the whole thing over. He was pleasantly surprised to find a 92 and a cursive _Good job._

Joey smiled before tucking his test away in his backpack. He liked Miss Suzuki. She was new to the school so either hadn't yet learned about the Wheeler reputation or chose to ignore it.

"All right, class. We're going to start our next lesson. Get out your notebooks and pencils and get ready to take notes."

Joey retrieved his notebook and started writing. It was a little later, during practice drills, that Joey noticed Kaiba hiding his phone under his desk. He glanced around Kaiba to see the teacher coming down their row. Joey lightly yet firmly kicked the chair leg. Kaiba shot him a murderous look over his shoulder, but the phone disappeared before the teacher reached them.

Miss Suzuki gave him a look that told him she suspected him of warning Kaiba. It made sense since he _did_ warn Kaiba with a kick almost on a daily basis. He wasn't allowed to have his phone out in class, whether it was for Kaiba Corp business or not.

 _It wouldn't kill the guy to figure out I only kick him when he's hiding his phone and the teacher's coming_ , Joey thought.

Class soon ended and everyone stood to shuffle out the door. Joey was almost to the door when Miss Suzuki snagged his arm. He twirled around awkwardly to face her. She gave him a pointed look.

"You have to stop doing that," she told him.

Joey grinned. "Sorry, Teach. Got a twitchy leg and all. Can't help if I kick the chair in front of me."

Miss Suzuki made an hmm sound before breaking out into a small smile and waving him off. Joey flashed her a peace sign before zipping out the door. Weaving through the throng of students, Joey barely made it through the door to English class before the bell. The teacher glared at him, but he shrugged his hands up to shoulder level.

 _Can't count me late and give me detention if I_ _ **don't**_ _arrive late,_ Joey chuckled to himself.

Joey liked sitting through English. He was good at reading and understanding what he read. The problem was his spelling and writing. It had never been his strong suit. More than one of his papers had been seriously marked down because the ancient old Mrs. Hironaka was strict as Hell.

"Wheeler, pay attention!"

And she was in prime mood today. Lunch time couldn't come soon enough, but mercifully, it finally did. Joey got his lunch and slipped out without his friends seeing him. He snuck upstairs on the roof to the serenity of the garden. He sat on the ground with his tray on his lap.

He finished it quickly. With a lot of time left in the lunch hour, Joey pulled the newspaper out of his backpack. He pulled out a marker as he skipped through the paper straight to the listed jobs. He immediately scratched out any job listing that needed a degree or specified experience in a given field.

He circled a few prospects as he took sips of his bottled water. He turned the page over and paused. In the center of the page, written in small lettering, was a small advertisement from a very familiar company.

 **Kaiba Corp Seeking Hard Worker**

 **No Experience Needed.**

There was a number listed and a weblink for further information. He hesitated before circling the ad. At the end, he had circled five potential listings. After school, he slipped into the school library and printed out applications. He made sure to write as neatly as he could on the papers.

He spent the next two weeks, chasing right out after school to the job sites and turning in his application. The first two told him they didn't hire high school students. The third job took the application but didn't call him for an interview. The fourth called him for an interview, but it was clear to him after a few minutes, they had already decided not to hire him.

On Friday afternoon, during study hall, he sat in a back corner of the library on a computer. He reluctantly pulled up the Kaiba Corp website link. He had discovered the listing was still in the paper which had been surprising.

It was cut and dry. The link explained they needed someone to work in janitorial. It wasn't Joey's ideal job, but it mentioned generous benefits. It didn't mention pay, but Joey decided to apply anyway.

He didn't know if Kaiba was in charge of the hiring or who he might be talking to, but he still applied. He made a special note on the application that he didn't have a phone, so they needed to contact him back with his email. He made sure to list all the references of the people he had worked for over the year. After reviewing through the application to ensure doneness, Joey moved the mouse over and clicked Submit.

/…/

"Gaaah! I hate reading through these!"

The Head Custodian pushed himself away from his desk to walk over to the coffee maker. He poured himself a new cup and took a big swig before returning to his desk. He had spent all day going through applications. The few he did call couldn't meet for an interview on such short notice or claimed they had already been hired by another company.

 _Ding!_

The man groaned. That sound meant another application. He slumped down into his chair and clicked his mouse. The application came up to full screen on his monitor.

"Joseph Wheeler, age 16, student at Domino High. References….hmm. One, two, five, _eight_? Kid's been busy."

He reached over for the phone and called the last few job references.

"Hello, I'm calling about one of your former employees, Joseph Wheeler. Really? Always on time, responsible, hard worker? Okay, thanks."

Ring ring ring. " _Oh yes! Wheeler was a great asset to have! I was sad to let him go, but the job changed to hours during the day and he has school. He wouldn't even come in for one day out of the week during school._ "

He wrote down on a pad of paper "dedicated to education." After calling a few more, he decided he wanted to take a chance with the kid. He pulled up the program and offered several appointments for interview before sending off the email. He was surprised when the program got back a reply in under five minutes.

He smiled. "Looks like I have an interview tomorrow."

 **END OF CHAPTER ONE**


	2. Chapter 2

**Talyak:** Thanks!

 **CHAPTER TWO**

Joey woke up early the next morning. He checked on his dad who he found fast asleep on the couch. He pulled a blanket over the man before tiptoeing back to his room. He climbed into the shower and took a quick, hot shower. When he finished, Joey dried off with a fresh towel and dressed in his nice clothes.

He wore a clean pair of khaki pants and a dark green collared shirt. He ran a brush through his thick hair, catching a few hard tangles along the way. He took a few deep breaths before looking at the time and leaving.

He tried to keep his steps calm and slow. He had plenty of time before the interview. Luckily, the interviewer wanted to meet at a local coffee shop. Joey sighed. He resisted the urge to run a hand through his hair. He had been relieved at the bottom of the interview invite had been a name that was _not_ Seto Kaiba.

 _If he was interviewing me, he'd probably die of laughter,_ Joey thought.

He went the long way to the coffee shop, taking a short trip through the park. He collected his thoughts and brainstormed some of the questions the interviewer might ask him. By the time he reached the coffee shop, he was about ten minutes early. He saw a man with graying hair sitting in a back corner.

"Mr. Nakamura?"

The man looked up from his newspaper. Smiling, he folded it up and put it aside.

"You must be Mr. Wheeler. Please take a seat," he said.

Joey pulled out the chair across from him and sat down. Mr. Nakamura took a sip of his coffee before speaking.

"I don't have very many questions for you, Mr. Wheeler. I intend to tell you about the job and ask you the few questions I have. I grow tired of interviewing so many and not being able to fill the position," Mr. Nakamura told him point blank.

Joey nodded. "I understand, Sir."

"You will be responsible for helping with the upkeep around Kaiba Corp. The job responsibilities including maintaining the bathrooms, clearing wastebaskets, setting up and cleaning up the conference rooms, and any little task I set for you. We have a team of twelve, six for the AM shift and six for the PM. I'm hiring for the PM shift and would send you home early before the others on school nights."

Joey was instructed in the hours he would be expected to work, his uniform, and the benefits.

"Does this sound like a job you could do?" Mr. Nakamura asked.

"Yes, Sir."

Mr. Nakamura made a hmm sound. He explained the process Joey would need to go through to be employed at Kaiba Corp _should_ Nakamura decide to hire him. Joey was relieved to hear that Kaiba didn't seem to be a part of the hiring. Mr. Nakamura chuckled.

"I am aware of your past with our CEO, Mr. Wheeler. Every department head, like myself, does the hiring in the lower levels. All I ask is if hired, you conduct yourself in a professional manner."

Nakamura knew he had said the right thing when he saw the young man's shoulders sag in relief. He knew the young man must be in great need of a job if he was risking applying to Kaiba Corp.

"Where do you see yourself in five years?"

Joey smiled. So it was time for the random questions. He took in a deep, calm breath and let it out. Five years would put him out of school and at the age of 22.

"I hope to see myself working full-time and with a place of my own. Maybe taking a couple of college classes."

Mr. Nakamura smiled. "What kind of classes?"

Joey shook his head.

"To be honest, I'm not really sure. I might try and take a few different classes to see what I'm good at," Joey replied.

Mr. Nakamura made a note on his notepad.

"On your application, you didn't list a phone number. If you were running late or had to call out sick, how would you contact us?" he questioned.

"There's a pay phone outside my apartment home. If I'm short on change, one of my neighbors lets me borrow hers."

"Tell me, Mr. Wheeler. Why are you seeking employment? You're a high school junior. One of the two most busy years in your high school career," Mr. Nakamura said.

"I'm trying to save up money. It's just me and my dad and money gets tight," Joey explained.

Mr. Nakamura nodded with an understanding smile. He ran through the rest of his questions before standing. Joey stood with a hopeful look on his face. Mr. Nakamura stuck his hand out to shake hands with him.

"Congratulations, Mr. Wheeler. The job is yours."

Joey broke out in a big grin.

"Really? Thank you! Thanks a lot," he replied.

Mr. Nakamura nodded.

"I will schedule an appointment with you with security to have your fingerprinting and badging done. Expect an email later today. When you're done with security, they'll have someone escort you to my office where we can go over the final paperwork and I'll give you a tour."

Joey was still grinning hours later after the interview. He couldn't believe he actually got a job at Kaiba Corp. Granted, he didn't care much for the work he was going to be doing, but he would do the job that was expected of him. Later that afternoon, he was minding the front desk at the Game Shop and checking his email when the alert came in.

Since Monday was a school holiday, he was scheduled to come in that morning.

"Yes," Joey murmured.

Yugi chose that moment to return from the back.

"What's up, Joey?" Yugi asked, stepping into Joey's line of sight.

Joey smiled at him.

"I got a new job. I'm going in Monday for the papers and stuff," Joey replied.

Yugi congratulated him. He didn't like it when Joey worked because he didn't get to see his best friend as much. He had questioned him about it, but Joey had stayed tight-lipped about it.

"You've worked four fast food places, newspaper delivery, the florist, the book store and…" Yugi paused.

Joey chuckled. "The animal shelter."

Yugi chuckled. Now he remembered. He could always tell when Joey had been at the shelter the day before. The smell was hard to get rid of.

"So what are you going to be doing this time, Joey?" Yugi asked.

"Helping out with the janitor staff, you know? Cleaning stuff and helping out around the building," Joey answered.

Yugi grinned. "That's cool, Joey."

Joey nodded. "Now if Monday could just get here quicker."

/…/

[Monday]

Monday finally arrived. However, Joey was still nervous about stepping foot in the Kaiba Corp building. The gigantic statutes of the Blue Eyes White Dragons sent a chill up his back. It would be just like Kaiba to put cameras in those creepy eyes.

He was surprised he didn't disintegrate upon stepping past the threshold. He knew that was a bit overexaggerating, but he was stepping into the proverbial lion's den. When he stopped at the receptionist's desk, a member of the security was there waiting for him.

He was escorted to a room where they ran his fingerprints for background screening. After his check came back clean, they took his picture and gave him a hard plastic badge with a chip in it. Then he was shown to Nakamura's office where he had to sit finishing paperwork. Once he was done with everything, he sat back with a sigh.

Nakamura chuckled as he filed Joey's paperwork into a filing cabinet.

"It never gets any easier, son. Now, before I introduce you to some of the staff and give you a tour, is there anything you need to tell me as far as accommodations go? Like any medicines you take and the such," Nakamura asked.

Joey bit his bottom lip. He had always told his employers _after_ they hired him about his hearing loss. All of them except one had taken it well. Slowly, he nodded.

"Yes, Sir. You should know I got a hearing problem," Joey explained.

Nakamura raised an eyebrow.

"How bad a hearing problem?" he asked.

"I got a moderate hearing loss. I'm okay talking with someone one on one, but they have to be nearby. The further away you are, the harder it is for me to hear. Plus I have a hard time focusing when a lot of people are talking at once."

Nakamura nodded. He noticed Joey spoke with a slightly louder volume than most. If what he said was true, then that would explain his speech.

"That's good for me to know. You may have to remind me over time, 'kay?" Nakamura asked him.

Joey nodded. First, he was introduced to the morning shift janitorial staff. Shift trading meant he would be working with some of them in the evenings. The AM group consisted of four guys and two gals. He had to look twice at one of the women before realizing it _was_ in fact a female. They were very welcoming to him and told him if he had any questions, not to hesitate to ask.

Next, Nakamura gave him a full tour of the eighteen foot building. There was a daycare and play areas down on the first level. A couple of the lower levels were testing facilities for current projects. There was a huge cafeteria on level five. Levels six to twelve were full of offices with people coming and going. There were a lot of conference rooms scattered about on levels thirteen to sixteen.

"At any given time, we can have up to a dozen meetings going at once. The first of the month is departmental meetings. They're tedious, but necessary," Nakamura explained.

To Joey's surprise, there was another cafeteria on level seventeen. On the eighteenth floor were administrative offices and, of course, Kaiba's office. Joey was a little nervous being up there with Nakamura, but the older male assured him Kaiba was across town at a business meeting. He pointed to an empty desk outside Kaiba's office.

"That's where Kita is usually sitting. She must be having an early lunch or something. If, for whatever reason, you need to talk Mr. Kaiba, stop by her desk first and tell her _why_ ," Nakamura said, chuckling when he saw Joey's face.

"I figured that'd be your answer, but at least now I've told you," Nakamura added.

Nakamura led him over to a door leading to the stairs. They wandered down to the next level.

"We'll grab a bite to eat and then I'll introduce you to the evening staff member you're going to be shadowing for a week. He's coming in a little early for me," Nakamura explained.

Joey hesitated. He kept very little cash on him. Surely, there wasn't enough to pay for a meal here with how nice the food was. Nakamura chuckled as he grabbed Joey's arm and pulled him forward.

"I forgot to mention. One of the benefits of working here is you don't have to pay for your meal. Although Kaiba Corp pays its employees very well, Mr. Kaiba likes to keep his employees well and healthy so they can work the best they can. The only thing you pay extra is anything like dessert or soda. If you want one of either, then it's my treat as a welcome to the team."

Joey bowed his head with a blush. He murmured a quiet thank you. He didn't think he had been that obvious, but clearly he was. He was finding out surprising things about Kaiba. As he ate by a window overlooking the city, he found out even more.

According to Nakamura, not only was the daycare downstairs free, but extra food was made each day down at level five and delivered to the orphanages in the city.

"You mentioned money was tight at home," Nakamura said, speaking in a quiet voice, but loud enough for Joey to hear.

Joey nodded quietly.

"You _can_ grab food to take home when you leave for the evening. This cafeteria closes at ten, but the lower level cafeteria stays open all night. We have some employees that work the graveyard shift. Most full-time employees are permitted to choose their hours, so long as they fill the forty hours required."

Joey flashed him a grateful smile. He ate the rest of his lunch in silence as he tried to process everything.

 **END OF CHAPTER TWO**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

Joey sat on the computer library checking his email. He had successfully shadowed his mentor for a week, watched the necessary health & safety videos, would be working solo starting Monday. He was pleased to see the schedule for the following week.

 **WHEELER, J.**

 **Monday – 5:00-9:00 (4)**

 **Tuesday – 5:00-9:00 (4)**

 **Thursday – 5:00-9:00 (4)**

 **Saturday – 9:00-7:00 (10)**

Joey counted the number of hours. He came to a total of 22. The decent number of hours pleased him. Nakamura had told him his part-time work would range from 20-30 hours. In addition, he had been told he might be scheduled to work an all day shift over the weekend from time to time.

 _The more hours I get, the quicker I can pay for my hearing,_ Joey thought.

The money he had received for the week with his mentoring had been less pay because it was only training. He tucked a little bit of it away in his hiding space while buying some groceries with the other bit. His dad had been grateful for that.

When he got home, he found some mail and a key in their mailbox. He reached down to one of the bigger mailboxes, stuck the key in, and unlocked the door. He pulled out a large package. He wasn't surprised to find the Kaiba Corp insignia on the return label.

"You must be my uniform," he mumbled.

When Joey jogged up the stairs to the apartment, he found his father absent. He shrugged. He set the package down in order to sort through the mail. He was pleased to see his father's disability check. Joey pulled a pen out from nearby and wrote in large print the amount of their rent on the envelope.

 _There! Now the old man will remember when he deposits the check,_ Joey thought.

Joey threw out the junk mail and carried his package to his room. He flicked out a pocket knife and slit a cut through the tape. He smiled when he saw the uniformed shirts and pants. Joey would be required to wear dark blue pants, a white t-shirt, and dark blue button-up collared t-shirt. The collar shirts had the Kaiba Corp insignia on the left side and above a pocket where he would be clipping his work badge.

Luckily, he still had slid-free black shoes from a previous job which would work great in his new line of work. He was thankful his afternoons didn't start until five. School lasted from 7:30 to 2:15. He would have time to go home, work on homework, and eat something before leaving for work.

Pulling some hangars out of his closet, Joey hung up his work clothes to keep the wrinkles out. He picked up his backpack and sat on his bed. Leaning against the backboard and with a leg propped up against his chest, Joey started working on his math. Some of the problems were easy. The problems had difficulty with, he marked a box around the number to indicate to his teacher where he had trouble.

When he was done with his math, he switched over to his Spanish homework. All he needed to do for Spanish was review the new vocabulary and study for Wednesday's test. His Spanish teacher grew up speaking Spanish so she could be quite strict when it came to speaking and writing the language. The rest of his homework went smoothly.

The next day, Joey gathered with his friends at The Game Shop. They were holding their monthly game and movie marathon. Duke was feeling better, but opted not to play in on any of the games. Instead he sat leaning against Tristan.

Joey shared a knowing look with Yugi. Everyone had a bet on when Tristan and Duke would finally seal the deal and go on a date. It was so obvious that the group wasn't sure if Tristan was blind or Duke was too subtle.

Joey enjoyed the games, especially when he won against everyone with Monopoly. It was movie time he always dreaded. He could keep up with most of the movies, but certain parts of movies were always quieter. At home, he made sure to put the captions on. He didn't know how to bring the subject of his hearing loss and hearing needs up to his friends.

 _I'll tell them soon,_ Joey thought.

/…/

Monday school came and left. Joey left school earlier than usual, narrowly missing getting hit by Kaiba's car. He shook his head as he jogged to his apartment. With no homework for the evening, Joey took the time to shower and eat an early dinner.

He made sure to leave from his apartment with more than enough time to get to work. He came in through a side door that led straight into the janitorial area. He went straight to the lockers where he put his personal belongings away in the locker assigned to him. Joey signed in on a nearby touchscreen monitor.

He walked over to a corkboard where everyone's assignments were listed. Joey smiled. He had the ground floor, second and third floor for cleaning duties. He grabbed the keys and cart for the lower levels and left for the area. He saw his mentor standing at the elevator to go up for his areas. Joey waved and the man waved back.

Like he had been taught, Joey started at one end of the floor and rotated around to other parts. He started with the wastebaskets with emptying and replacing bags. Then he washed down the windows. When he got over to the daycare area, he was walking through to clear their place when the teacher stopped him.

"I'm sorry to bother you, especially since you're new, but do you mind watching the kids for just a few minutes? My aide is on break and I _really_ need to use the bathroom," the teacher pleaded.

Joey nodded with a smile.

"Yes, Mam. I'll watch the kids," he answered.

It turned out to only be five kids, three boys and two girls. They were a little rowdy so Joey did what used to work with his sister. He snatched up a book and waved it in the air.

"Who wants to hear a story?" he called.

The children cheered and all scrambled to the carpet to find their seats. He sat carefully in the teacher's chair and turned the book around to read the book. The children loved him! He read slowly, but loudly and he had different voices for each character. The teacher returned halfway through the book yet she hung back until he was finished.

The children begged for another story, but the teacher told him the nice man had work to do.

"I'm sure Mr….umm," the teacher glanced at his badge, "Mr. Wheeler will come again some other time."

The children cheered. They allowed him to finish his work in the classroom before attacking him with hugs and giggles. He promised to come see them again. Once done with the ground floor, he rode the elevator up to the next level. The young janitor enjoyed cleaning around the testing sites and getting to see what Kaiba Corp was working on.

He met some of the office staff and chatted with them briefly. Luckily, he wasn't recognized by too many. Those that did recognize him only recalled that he was a duelist. By the time he was done with his three floors, the clock was nearing nine. He wandered back down to the janitorial wing to restock the cart and return the keys.

Nakamura caught up to him when he went to sign out.

"Good work, Wheeler. I heard from a couple of people about you tonight. Seems you really impressed Mrs. Hashiba and the kids over in the daycare, too. Lending a hand to coworkers here is what being a Kaiba Corp employee is all about," Nakamura told him.

Joey smiled. "Thanks."

Nakamura motioned with his finger. "Follow me to my office."

Frowning, Joey finished signing out and followed after his boss. He entered the sizeable office and was surprised when Nakamura turned around to hand him a phone.

"What's this?" he asked.

Nakamura grinned. "You weren't the only part-time employee with limited access to a phone. Mr. Kaiba just signed off on the paperwork for part-time employees to receive cell phones for work use."

Joey gasped as he looked down at the phone. It was the newest kPhone. The phone had only come out on the market from Kaiba Corp three months ago.

"This has all the contacts you need programmed in, based on what department you work in. There's an app in here you can use to check your schedule, request time off, and trade shifts. You can check email as well. If you manage to work for us for a year, you can keep the phone after that," Nakamura explained.

The head janitor gave him a charger and instructional booklet. He pointed out a few more things before sending Joey on his way. Joey grabbed his things from the locker. He was fortunate there was a bus stop nearby. He jumped on with his bus pass and rode it all the way home.

By the way he reached his apartment, he was beyond exhausted. He still took the time to pause and pull the blanket off the couch to drape over his father. He pressed a small kiss to the top of his old man's head.

" _Love ya, Dad,_ " Joey murmured.

Joey flicked off the television before walking quietly down the hall to his room. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

 **END OF CHAPTER THREE**


	4. Chapter 4

**Talyak:** Thank you!

 **Shin:** Thanks. I try to pace my stories to find a balance.

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

 _ **THUD.**_

Kaiba jerked his head over his shoulder.

" _Quit it, Mutt,_ " he hissed.

He glared at the top of the blonde's head before turning his attention back forward. Out of the corner of his eye, Joey saw Kaiba's body turn around so he knew the brunette had said something to him. He glared at the back of Kaiba's head. He knew whatever the older male had said probably hadn't been nice.

 _Probably called me a mutt again,_ Joey thought.

The morning was passing slowly. He wanted time to speed up and get to the end of the day. He didn't have work tonight. However, tomorrow he was working an all day shift. Joey was looking forward to it. The other work days this week had gone over smoothly and he hadn't had any run-ins with Kaiba.

It baffled Joey. Surely, the male knew the names of all his employees. Or at least, was aware when new hires were made. Joey was curious, but he wasn't curious enough to question the CEO himself, lest he gave himself away.

 _R-R-R-Ri-ing._

The students scrambled out of their seats. Joey was slow to pack up. When he stood up, he almost banged right into Kaiba. Unlike before, Kaiba was now facing him and glaring down at him. Joey raised his head and eyes, raising his eyebrows in question.

" _Quit_ kicking my desk, Wheeler," Kaiba warned.

Joey rolled his eyes.

"Maybe you should ask yerself _why_ I'm kicking your desk before you ask me to stop," Joey told him before shoving past him.

He missed the calculating gaze aimed at his back. The rest of the day dragged. Joey fidgeted more than usual, earning him more than a couple of warnings from his teacher. He was excited when lunch time came. He was disappointed when he found only Yugi and Yami at their group's lunch table.

"Where da Hell is everyone?" Joey asked.

Yugi smiled. "Téa is finishing up an Art project. Tristan has lunch detention. Ryou checked out early to go to a doctor's appointment, but he'll be back later."

"What about Dice Boy?" Joey asked.

Yugi shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I saw him on his phone when we were on our way to the cafeteria," Yugi answered.

Joey shook his head. Like Kaiba, Duke had his own company he was busy running while attending school.

"How is the new job working out?" Yami questioned him.

Joey smiled as he chewed on a piece of macaroni and cheese.

"It's good. People are real nice at the office and they got a daycare downstairs. Kids there really like me. Boss lets me take a break to read them a book," Joey replied.

Yami nodded.

"Not surprising," Yami commented.

Yugi nodded in agreement.

"You have always been good with the children at the shop, Joey. I wish you could come tomorrow. Grandpa's having that big sale," Yugi reminded him.

Joey shook his head.

"Sorry, Yug. I'm scheduled all day from sun up to sun down. I'll get a couple of breaks and stuff and lunch and dinner, but not enough time to come 'cross town," Joey explained.

"That's okay, Joey. I'll set aside a couple of booster packs for you. You can come by Sunday and get them," Yugi told him.

Joey clapped him on the shoulder.

"You're a pal, Yug. I appreciate it."

Yami watched the two of them closely as he ate his lunch. Joey had been questioned, but tight lipped about where he was working. Joey had just given him a clue. Most of the work buildings were close by the Game Shop, but Joey's was across town. A few of the bigger buildings were near that area, including Kaiba Corp and the newly expanded Black Crown.

 _Joey doesn't get along with Duke or Kaiba, but would he be willing to work for them? They would be paying well and Joey mentioned the pay was too good to pass up_ , Yami thought.

Yami knew if Joey grew comfortable enough, he would share with them where he worked. Until that time, they would trust he wasn't working somewhere dangerous.

/…/

Joey had a good yet light breakfast before departing for work. Nakamura put him right to work with assisting a co-worker on setting up all the conference rooms for luncheons. They finished in no time at all and were able to take an early lunch.

"How's your first week been, Wheeler?" the co-worker, an older female by the name of Yuki Morimoto, asked.

Joey chuckled as they sat down in a quiet corner.

"It's been really good. Everyone's been nice," Joey answered.

Yuki nodded.

"Probably because you haven't run into the Big Boss, huh?" she teased.

Joey's cheeks turned red. Yuki was one of the few that knew about him and Kaiba's volatile relationship. Moving on from that topic, they talked about Joey's schoolwork. He had an essay to write for school. She made suggestions for his paper as they ate through their lunch.

After lunch, they wandered to their floors to restock items. Joey was finishing up restocking an office hallway hand sanitizer station when Nakamura came by.

"Wheeler! I need to pull you off the floor," Nakamura said.

Joey frowned as he pulled a rag off the cart to wipe off some dirt from his hands.

"What's up?" Joey asked.

"Teacher downstairs just got sick. It'll be at least an hour before our other teacher can get here. And the kids are asking for The Storyman."

Joey's face broke out in a huge grin. He had been afraid he had done something wrong or worse. His name was hard for the kids to pronounce so the teacher referred to him as The Storyman. He got downstairs quickly but carefully. The exhausted aide looked relieved to see him.

He could see why when he counted the number of heads in the room. There were twelve little angels running all about. So he quickly devised a plan to break them up. He took six for Story Time and drawing pictures from the book afterwards. The aide took the other six aside for afternoon snack and bathroom breaks. Then they switched groups.

When the replacement teacher arrived, they were doing song and dance time with the children. The children were sad to see Joey go.

"I'll be back next week. I promise, kids," Joey said, heading for the door.

He got twelve big hugs before he was finally allowed to escape. He returned to his janitorial work. He made a face when he had to clean up a mess in a bathroom. Someone hadn't quite made it to the toilet in time. He cleaned it up properly according to proper procedures. Then he put a fresh can in the spritzer Febreeze sitting high in the bathroom.

After that, it was time for dinner. Joey returned his cart downstairs, so he could wash up properly. He had a small dinner in the cafeteria on the lower floor. He was lucky to be sitting off in a dark corner. He had a mini panic attack when he spotted Kaiba coming through. He slid down in his seat, trying to prevent himself from being seen.

Luckily, the taller male was distracted by the co-worker walking with him. They were looking over a contract as they passed through. Joey watched as Kaiba accepted a to-go box from one of the cafeteria workers. His body tensed as they turned around and began walking out. If Kaiba turned his head even a fraction to the right, he would spot Joey for sure.

Luck was still on his side as Kaiba left the area without spotting him. Joey let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"That was close," Joey murmured.

When he left that night, he took a hot dinner in a to go box for his father. When he arrived home, his father was awake on the couch. He was watching the television with only half interest. The man smiled gratefully at his son when he handed him the food. He brought a hand up to touch his cheek softly.

"My good son," he murmured.

Joey smiled.

"It's been a good day, huh, Dad?" Joey asked, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder.

His father nodded as he chewed quietly on his dinner. He pointed to the side table where a small circular object sat. Joey smiled as he picked it up.

"Got your purple chip tonight? Good job, Dad. Three more months and that'll be a year you've been sober," Joey murmured.

His father showed him a small smile in response.

" 'm tryin'," he mumbled.

Joey leaned down to kiss his father softly on top of the head.

"I know, Dad. I know you're trying. Maybe I can come to one of your meetings some time," Joey promised.

He wished his dad a good night with a quiet reminder of his plans for tomorrow. Joey crawled into bed that night, falling asleep easily. He dreamed of flying with his Red Eyes Black Dragon.

 **END OF CHAPTER FOUR**


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

The Mutt was an enigma.

Seto sat quietly at his desk, gently tapping the eraser end of his pencil against the desk. Today had been a Math test and naturally, he had finished in very little time. Everyone else was still working on their test. Seto found his gaze drifting to the windows. In the reflection, he could see Wheeler perfectly.

The blonde male was focused intently on his test. Every few questions, he would flip the pencil over and erase something. He had yet to kick Seto's desk for today's class period. It had been over a week since Seto had snapped at the slightly shorter male for repeatedly kicking his chair.

" _Maybe you should ask yerself_ _ **why**_ _I'm kicking your desk before you ask me to stop."_

He had thought over the other's words time after time, but couldn't figure out what the cryptic message was. Math was the only class he sat in front of Wheeler and, as far as he knew, Wheeler didn't exhibit this behavior in their other classes.

 _The Mutt and I haven't been in any fights recently. Perhaps he's trying to start something,_ Seto thought.

Despite the thought, Seto knew that wasn't the cause. He had recently overheard Devlin and Taylor talking about Wheeler's new job. If The Mutt really was working, then he wouldn't jeopardize his employment over a schoolboy feud. At least if Wheeler was smart, he wouldn't start any fights.

Seto rolled his eyes. He slipped his phone out of his pocket and held it under the desk out of sight of the teacher. He needed to move a few meetings around. Then he had to sign some contracts and…

 _ **THUD.**_

Seto jabbed his phone back into his pocket before shooting a heated glare over his shoulder. Wheeler kept his head down working on his test. If he hadn't felt the kick, he would have suspected Wheeler hadn't done it in the first place. When he turned back around, he found the teacher standing beside his desk.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Kaiba?" she asked.

He wisely chose to exercise his patience and keep his mouth shut. He shook his head. She made an hmm sound before moving on through the rows.

Later, during lunch, he observed Wheeler from a distance. He sat in a dark corner with his lunch and laptop yet both sat untouched. Wheeler was in the middle of his horde of friends. He looked to be in a deep conversation with Taylor.

He had noticed in his observations that whenever one of the group wanted to say something to Wheeler, they made sure to draw his attention to them before speaking. He thought maybe the blonde had attention problems. Except Seto noticed once his attention was gained, Wheeler focused on the speaker intently.

Seto shook his head and tried to focus his attention on his own business. He managed to eat most of his lunch, but he couldn't do much more except double check his calendar for the evening. He was relieved when the final bell rang and he was able to leave for Kaiba Corp. When he arrived, he stopped in at a few departments to check in with everyone.

The children at the daycare were out playing when he popped in to check on the teacher. They stood under the shade of an over hang while the children ran around on the playground.

"How are you? I understand you were sick last week," Seto asked.

The teacher smiled. "I am well, Mr. Kaiba. Thank you for checking on me. I am really thankful for that new janitor Nakamura hired."

Seto questioned her on what she meant.

"The children absolutely love him! He filled in until my replacement arrived. The children love to hear him read stories. I'm afraid they can't pronounce his name so we call him The Storyman," she explained.

One of the children, a short boy with raven-colored hair, stood nearby. He ran over and pulled on the teacher's dress. The woman looked down at him.

"Storyman, Storyman!" he called.

She chuckled. She patted him on the head.

"No, dear. He's not working today. He'll come visit soon," she promised.

Seto shared a few more words with her before paying Nakamura a visit. He found the older male working on his master schedule for the following week. The man stood to greet him with a firm handshake.

"I heard your new hire has been working out well," Seto commented.

Nakamura nodded.

"He has. He's a responsible young man. Not too many would do our jobs. I haven't had any problems with him," Nakamura reported.

Seto nodded firmly. "So I've heard. Is he still on the trial pay rate?"

Confused, Nakamura shook his head.

"No, Sir. He's on full pay on the first bracket," Nakamura explained.

"Move him up to the next bracket," Seto commanded.

"Sir?"

"I've heard from more than one person of your new hire going beyond his responsibilities to able aid to others. Let's see if we can keep this janitor longer than the last one."

Nakamura bowed his head. "Of course, Sir. I'll get on the paperwork right away."

Seto went over a few things with him before leaving. The afternoon was spent checking in on current projects and a meeting with the Human Resources employees. By the time he arrived home, Mokuba had already eaten dinner and changed into pajamas. He jumped up and threw his arms around his big brother.

"Seto, you're home!" Mokuba exclaimed.

Seto smiled and returned the hug.

"How was your day, Mokuba?" Seto asked.

Mokuba grinned up at him.

"It was great, Seto! I aced my science test and they served brownies with lunch," Mokuba explained. "How was your day, Big Brother?"

Seto shook his head.

"It was…decent."

Mokuba giggled.

"Don't forget, Seto. My quiz bowl team is meeting every day after school next week. We'll be done at five," Mokuba said.

Seto fished his phone out of his pocket. He input the information into his calendar.

"I'll make sure Roland knows to send one of the men to pick you up," Seto said.

Mokuba scrunched his face up.

"Can you make sure not to send Kazu? I _don't like_ him," Mokuba replied.

Seto smirked. "He's decided he has reached his plateau at Kaiba Corp and has sought employment elsewhere."

Mokuba hid his giggles behind his hands.

"Did you fire Kazu, Big Brother?"

Seto shrugged. "He's been asking for it for months. I was only happy to help."

Mokuba shook his head. He knew his brother well. He probably had fired Kazu the second Mokuba had first said something about the security man. Seto spent some time with his brother playing video games before putting the fifth grader to bed [1].

The high school junior moved on to his room where he put his laptop away. He pulled his jacket off and hung it up. Seto disappeared into his bathroom. He turned it on and changed it to his desired temperature.

He discarded his clothes down a laundry chute. Despite the hot temperature, shivers ran down his back when he stepped under the water. For a few minutes, he stood under the waterfall. He felt his muscles loosen and stress leave his body. He stayed in until the water grew cold.

After climbing out, he pulled on a pair of boxers and sleep pants. Seto proceeded to follow through his nightly ritual. He washed his face, flossed his teeth, brushed his teeth, and gargled mouthwash. He cleaned out his ears and cut a nail that had been bothering him.

The lights were turned out except a bedside stand lamp. He sat up in bed reading a book. It was a new release, but he was already halfway through it. Seto read chapter after chapter until the timer on his phone went off. Letting out a small yawn, Seto marked his place, set the book aside, and turned the lamp off.

He pulled his covers only to his abdomen before relaxing his body. Resting his head on his pillow, he took a deep breath and counted mentally in French. Around fifty, he drifted off to sleep. In his dreams, he was at peace. He felt on top of the world with his three Blue Eyes White Dragons gathered all around him. There was only one troubling piece in his dreams.

" _Maybe you should ask yerself_ _ **why**_ _I'm kicking your desk before you ask me to stop."_

 **END OF CHAPTER FIVE**

[1] According to research online, the popular age gap between the brothers are 5 years. I feel like the age gap is bigger. For this story, I have raised the age gap to 6 years so when they left the orphanage, Mokuba was 3 years old and too young to remember.


	6. Chapter 6

**Talyak: Thanks again!**

 **CHAPTER SIX**

When he arrived at Kaiba Corp that afternoon, Nakamura sent him on a supply run. Since Joey had his license, Nakamura had him borrow one of the corporation rental cars. It didn't take him long at the store. On his way back, Joey noticed a car pulled over on the side of the road with the hood up.

He pulled up behind them and set the emergency flashers on. Joey climbed out and walked around the black SUV. He found a familiar guy in a security uniform. He seemed annoyed about something.

"Hey Muscles, do you need a hand there?" Joey asked.

"Muscles" turned and smiled when he saw who it was.

"Hey, Wheels. I'm afraid not. I _was_ on my way to pick up Mr. Kaiba from the elementary school, but the SUV doesn't want to work anymore. I have a tow truck on the way. I'm going to be really late to pick up Mr. Kaiba, though," he explained.

Joey frowned. Then he brightened up.

"I can go get Mokuba. Nakamura's not in a hurry for the supplies I got," Joey said.

Muscles looked up from the engine in surprise.

"You'll get him? You know where the school's at?" Joey nodded. "That'd be great! But let me double check it with my boss."

Muscles pulled his phone out and hid speed dial. He only had to wait a minute for someone to pick up.

"Boss? Yes, the tow truck is on the way. Hey, listen, I got another Corp employee here who's offered to go pick up the kid. Yes. Yes. The new guy Nakamura hired. Yes. Yes. Okay, I'll let him know."

Muscles hung up and turned back to him with a smile.

"You're cleared, Wheels. Roland's going to let Nakamura know where you're at. Here's the access key to get you through the mansion gates. Just bring it to security when you get back to the office."

Joey smiled, thanked him, and jumped back in the car. He looked over his shoulder before pulling back out into traffic. He turned around and headed for the elementary school. He was excited about seeing Mokuba. The kid was fun to be around. He only hoped Kaiba was at Kaiba Corp and not at the house.

Joey weaved expertly through the traffic and soon pulled into the parking lot of the elementary school. It was easy to spot Mokuba. The kid was sitting on a bench with a book open in his lap. Joey pulled up to the curb near him, put the car in park, and popped his head up.

"Hey, Mokuba!"

Mokuba looked up from his book. He glanced around before spotting Joey. He smiled big and launched himself to his feet.

"Joey, hi! What are you doing here?" Mokuba asked.

Joey grinned.

"I'm here to get ya. Security got a bad SUV so I offered to come get you. Got it cleared through Roland and everything," Joey explained.

Mokuba was curious, but still jumped in the passenger seat. Joey sat back down and clicked his seatbelt in. Joey took the car out of the park and glanced over his shoulder before pulling away from the curb. Mokuba noticed the Kaiba Corp insignia on Joey's shirt and burst into a big grin.

"Joey, I didn't know you worked at Kaiba Corp. Big Brother didn't tell me," Mokuba remarked.

Joey grinned sheepishly.

"Well…that's uh…probably because he _doesn't_ know," Joey confessed.

Mokuba's jaw dropped. "You're kidding?!"

As he pulled up to a stop at a long red light, Joey explained everything from seeing the ad to where they were currently. Mokuba nodded as the light turned green.

"That sounds cool, Joey. I don't blame you for not letting Big Brother know. I know you and Seto fight like cats and dogs," Mokuba said.

Joey chuckled. "Well, since yer brother always calls me a mutt, does that make him a cat?"

Mokuba stifled his giggles behind his hands.

"Don't tell Seto you said that," Mokuba joked.

The two of them laughed. They drove down one road for a while before turning down another.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but _why_ would you take a job where Big Brother is CEO?" Mokuba asked.

Joey stayed quiet for several minutes. He had never told any of his friends or school chums about his hearing loss. Any other story he could come up with for the kid wouldn't fly well. Joey sighed.

"Guess it's time you knew. You notice how I got the music turned down way low?" Nod. "That's so I don't have to compete with hearing it over your voice."

Mokuba shot him a confused look.

"Huh?"

"I got a hearing loss, kid. Makes it real hard for me to hear people with noise like a car radio or a restaurant."

Mokuba was astonished. He didn't know anyone who had hearing loss. He was fascinated and as such he had a lot of questions. By the time they rolled up in front of Kaiba Manor, Mokuba had learned everything about Joey's hearing loss history.

Joey rolled the window down and flashed the access path where Mokuba pointed out where the hidden pad was. The gates slowly opened. Once the car was in the clear, Joey pulled through and up to the house. With a hand on the doorknob, Mokuba turned to smile at Joey.

"Thanks for telling me about your hearing loss, Joey. I guess you've never had a problem hearing me because I'm loud. I promise I won't tell Seto, Joey. It'll be our secret," Mokuba told him.

Joey reached out to squeeze his shoulder.

"Thanks, Mokuba. You're a great kid. You have a great evening, 'kay?" Joey said.

Mokuba nodded before getting out of the car. Joey waited until the kid had walked up to the front step, unlocked the door, and disappeared inside. Only then did Joey pull away and exit off the Kaiba Manor grounds. It didn't take him nearly as long to get back to the office.

Nakamura was pleased to see him and the supplies. One of the other co-workers helped him to unload the trunk while Nakamura propped the doors open for them.

"Go grab a quick bite to eat and then come back down for your assignment. I split up part of your assignment with the others so that you can still leave on time," Nakamura explained.

Joey winced.

"The guys okay with that?"

Nakamura laughed.

"Course they are. I told them where you were at and they all agreed they were fine with taking a little extra work on tonight. Now go get some food!"

Joey wandered up to the fifth floor and grabbed himself a quick dinner. When he was done, he came down for his cart. He found out he had the floors with the offices. He finished one floor quickly before moving on the other. There wasn't too many people in the office that evening.

As he stepped into one of the opened door offices, he came across one of the department heads. It was a guy, about ten or fifteen years his senior. His hair was thick and shaggy light brown with equally bright green eyes. He was taking a low framed pair of lenses off when Joey came in.

"Good evening. I'm afraid the trash can and recycling bins are quite full today," he apologized.

Joey cracked a big grin.

"It's okay. Keeps me busy," Joey replied.

The man chuckled. "I thought I knew all the janitors. You must be the new janitor. Wheels, was it?"

Joey flushed. It seems the nickname given to him by Muscles was spreading.

"It's Wheeler, actually. But you're welcome to call me Wheels," Joey said, tossing the trash out.

The man watched him as he emptied the two bins into appropriate locations on his cart. He waited until Joey looked up to ask him a question.

"Your accent? Is it American?" the man asked.

Joey nodded. "Yea. My dad is American."

The man smiled as he pushed himself to his feet. He grasped Joey's hand in a big handshake.

"It's great to meet you then! Name's Jeremy Hawkins. Friends call me Hawk. I'm American, but I was born here on a military base. I've lived all over the world. Finally came back to settle here after getting my college degree," he said.

Joey chuckled as he returned the handshake.

"It's nice to meet you, too. If you don't mind me asking, what do you do around here?" Joey asked, letting go of the other's hand.

"Don't mind at all. I am the Department Head for Research and Development. My small group works on researching new product ideas and developing those ideas into actual products. My group was responsible for products like the duel disk and the kPhone."

Joey told him his job must be exciting. Hawk sighed as he sat back down.

"It can be. For the moment, I'm working on paperwork which is an unfortunate necessary evil. Enjoy being young while you can, Wheels. Your best days are now."

Joey nodded before wishing the man a good evening. He rolled his cart around trying to finish up. He came downstairs just as the late hour was coming. The young man apologized to his boss for not clocking out on time. Nakamura waved him off.

"It's all right. I'll write it up as overtime. I understand you know the young Kaiba well. I suspect that's why you volunteered to pick him up," Nakamura commented.

Joey nodded. "Yea. I don't get to see the kid too often so it was nice to chat with him."

Nakamura agreed. "Young Mr. Kaiba is quite the joy to be around."

Realizing how late it was getting, Nakamura shooed Joey out the door to get home.

 **END OF CHAPTER SIX**


	7. Chapter 7

**Talyak:** Yep! Now Mokuba knows.

 **Kiss death666:** Thanks! Here's some more.

 **CHAPTER SEVEN**

Things were running great with his job at Kaiba Corp.

At Mokuba's request and Roland's approval, Joey had picked up Mokuba multiple times from the school. He had even picked up dinner a couple of times while on the way to the manor. He had received a pay raise which according to Nakamura had been earned "due to exemplary behavior fitting of a Kaiba employee." He had spoken briefly with Hawk on a few occasions. He had come close a few times to Kaiba seeing him, but thankfully had yet to be discovered.

He was excited when he was finally able to schedule an appointment with an Audiologist. Joey checked out of school early Tuesday afternoon, much to the confusion of his friends. He rode the bus to the other side of town and showed up to the office twenty minutes early. He signed in, grabbed a magazine, and sat down. Soon, the Audiologist appeared with a loud call of "Joseph Wheeler."

He put down the magazine and followed the petite woman to the back. After introducing herself and explaining what she would be doing, she led him up a short ramp to a large, enclosed room. He sat down in a comfortable chair. She picked up a pair of headphones and put them over his ears. She adjusted them until they fit perfectly. The woman handed him a clicker to hold in his hand.

The Audiologist flashed him a thumbs up before leaving the room. She closed the door firmly behind her, leaving Joey alone in the quiet room. Her voice came on loud in the headphones.

" _Can you hear me okay, Mr. Wheeler?_ "

"Yes," he replied.

" _Good. Now I'm going to play a series of tones in your right ear. Remember to click the button when you hear a sound. Understand?_ "

"Yes."

" _Good. Let's begin._ "

Joey was patient and tried to listen for the sounds. He heard a few, but he was certain there were ones he was missing. After testing the one ear, the Audiologist came back and told her she was switching ears. The second time, he felt like he pressed the button even less.

Soon he was sitting outside with the Audiologist. She showed him a chart which resembled a line graph from math class. It had blue X's and red O's. The X's descended down to a certain point before looping up. The O's sat a little higher on the graph than the X's.

"Still looks like a moderate loss, Doc," Joey commented.

The Audiologist grinned.

"You are correct, Mr. Wheeler. Judging by your past history, it seems the hearing loss in your left ear has increased. It just dips into the moderately severe whereas your right ear is a little higher up in the mild-moderate area. You have what we call a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss," she explained.

Joey nodded. He already knew a bilateral loss meant a hearing loss in both ears, but he wasn't sure about sensorineural.

"Sensory…nor…ell?" Joey asked, trying to pronounce it.

The Audiologist chuckled.

" _Sensori…neural._ It means a permanent type of hearing loss. You see, the ear is made of three parts," she explained.

Joey nodded. "I remember. Outer, middle, and inner."

The Audiologist praised him for his knowledge.

"Good. Sensorineural hearing loss is in the inner ear. It's the most common _permanent_ hearing loss."

The Audiologist proceeded to explain what his hearing loss entailed and how it usually affected him. Joey wasn't really surprised by anything she shared with him.

"So what do ya say, Doc? Can we order some hearing aids?"

"Of course, Mr. Wheeler. I'll take the molds of your ears today so I can send them out. You can select the colors you want for them and the piece that will fit behind your ears. It'll take three to four weeks for the earmolds to arrive. You'll receive an email when they arrive and you can come in for me to take a look to make sure they're fitted correctly."

Joey smiled big. It made him all excited. He played it smart and asked about payments and what not. The Audiologist explained the pricing based on his hearing loss and the devices he would need. She explained how he could pay off the hearing aids in monthly payments starting after the devices arrived.

"Let's do it, Doc!"

After putting special foam stoppers on strings in Joey's ears, the Audiologist squirted some cold, pink goo in his ear to surround the outer ear space. While he sat and waited for it to dry, Joey looked at earmold colors and devices. He chose the hearing aids that were a light cream/khaki color. They would blend in perfectly with his hair.

As excited as he was to have hearing aids again, Joey still wanted to keep them from being seen. He decided on clear earmolds. After the goo dried, the Audiologist carefully extracted the molds from his ears. He spoke a little longer with the Audiologist before departing.

Because it was such a nice day out, he opted for walking through town instead of catching the bus. He stopped of at a shop to grab a bottle of water. It was well past dismissal at school. Since it was nearing dismissal for the elementary school, Joey jogged over there. He arrived just as the students were getting out.

It was easy to spot Mokuba out of the others.

"Hey, Mokie!"

Mokuba glanced over everyone's head and spotted Joey. He waved as the older male came over. He pulled him into a hug and squeezed tight around his ribs. Joey made a small grunt.

"Hi, Joey! What are you doing here?" Mokuba asked.

Joey chuckled as he gave the kid a gentle noogie on top of the head. Students milled around them as they were picked up by parents and left on their bikes.

"Just came from the doctor, kid. Got my 'ears' ordered and everything," Joey explained.

Joey was glad he had braced himself because the next thing he knew, Mokuba was hugging him tightly.

"Yay, Joey! I'm so excited! You're going to show them to me when they get here, right?!" Mokuba exclaimed.

Joey laughed yet agreed that he would.

"I'll have to mark today on my calendar. October 25. The day I finally ordered my new ears."

Mokuba gasped. Joey jerked his head down with a confused look.

"What's wrong?" Joey asked.

Mokuba shook his head.

"Today is Seto's birthday and I didn't get him _anything_. He's going to hate me forever!"

As Mokuba was explaining, a black SUV pulled up and Roland stepped out. Joey shook his head as he turned Mokuba towards him and he dropped down on a knee.

"Kid, your big brother could never hate you. Yugi, maybe and me, definitely. But _never_ you. Now how about I help you find something for you to give your brother for his birthday?" Joey asked.

Mokuba nodded frantically as he threw his arms around Joey.

"Roland, when is Big Brother due home later?" Mokuba asked, his arms still wrapped around Joey.

Roland let a small smile flit across his face.

"Mr. Kaiba is in the middle of an important meeting right now. He won't be home until 8:00," Roland reported.

Mokuba cheered. "Perfect!"

Mokuba pulled Joey into the back of the SUV and Roland returned to the driver seat. They brainstormed some ideas about what Mokuba could get his brother. They finally settled on going back to the manor and Joey helping Mokuba to bake something. The cook had the night off so they had the kitchen all to themselves.

"I'm worried, Joey," Mokuba confessed.

Joey frowned.

"Worried about what?"

"Seto doesn't really care for sweets."

 _That would explain his sour attitude,_ Joey thought.

"I got just the thing, kid. It's an old family recipe. My family's Sour Cream Pound Cake."

Mokuba made a face. "Sour cream? Yuck!"

Joey chuckled as he started searching around the kitchen for the baking items.

"You'd be surprised how good this tastes. You don't even really taste the sour cream. Plus it goes great with strawberries," Joey commented.

Mokuba sat straight up. "Seto loves strawberries!"

Joey started listing off things they would need. Mokuba opened the fridge and started pulling ingredients out. Then he went to the pantry to retrieve the dry ingredients. Luck was on their side as they had everything they needed.

After plugging in the mixer, Joey instructed Mokuba in how to make the recipe. He gave him each step one at a time, providing a little assistance along the way.

"Okay, kid. Start with adding these ingredients together," Joey instructed.

Mokuba mixed the things together in the mixer with the blades on low. Joey slid the egg carton over.

"Now for the eggs," Joey said.

Mokuba pouted. "I can't break eggs. I always get pieces of the shell in the mix."

Joey smiled. "It's okay. I'll help ya."

Joey held Mokuba's hand while he held an egg. Joey showed him how hard was just hard enough to break an egg on the side of the bowl. He used their hands to demonstrate how to open the egg to drop it (and only it) into the mix. On the second egg, Mokuba tried it himself and cheered when none of the bright white eggshell landed in the mix.

At Mokuba's request, Joey took a few photos of him using his cell phone. They shared laughs as they mixed the ingredients, preheated the oven, and poured the mix into the baking pan. While the pound cake baked, Joey and Mokuba cleaned the countertops and washed the dishes by hand at the sink.

"My quiz bowl is next week, Joey. Will you come cheer for my school?" Mokuba asked.

"What day is it?" Joey asked.

"Next Saturday! It'll be at the convention center. It starts at ten. If we win all our rounds, we'll play in the finals on Sunday," Mokuba explained.

Joey knew Mokuba's older brother would likely be there, but Kaiba probably wouldn't think twice of seeing him at the competition. After all, he knew Mokuba liked Joey and considered him a friend.

"Sure, kid! I'll be there. I'll see if Nakamura can schedule me during the week and not the weekend," Joey answered.

"Yay!"

Joey laughed as Mokuba threw his soapy hands around him in a big hug. It was a few hours later, not long after Joey departed from the Kaiba estate, that Seto arrived home. Mokuba greeted him with a slice of the pound cake topped with strawberries and whipped cream.

"Happy birthday, Seto!" Mokuba greeted.

Seto chuckled as he took the plate from his brother.

"Thank you, Mokuba. What's this?" Seto asked.

"It's pound cake, Seto! I know you don't like a lot of sweets, but it's sour cream pound cake. A friend taught me how to make it," Mokuba answered.

Seto smiled.

"That sounds different. I'll have a piece if you try a piece too," Seto said.

Mokuba agreed and went back to the kitchen for a plate. Seto sat down on the couch in the living room and waited for Mokuba to return. The pound cake looked good. It warmed his heart that his brother made it himself.

When Mokuba returned, they tried the pound cake. Seto was pleasantly surprised. Not only did he not detect any eggshells, he also tasted a cake that was moist and barely sweet at all. The strawberries and whipped cream were the perfect combination with the pound cake.

"This tastes wonderful, 'kuba. Tell your friend this is a great recipe," Seto told him.

Mokuba grinned from ear to ear.

"You got it, Seto!"

After they were done eating, they played some video games together before Seto tucked Mokuba in for the night.

"I forgot to ask if you have to stay after school this week," Seto commented, pulling the blankets up over his brother's lap.

Mokuba shook his head.

"Not this week, but we're going to finish practicing on Monday and Tuesday. The competition will be next Saturday. You're coming, right?" Mokuba asked.

Seto sighed.

"I'm sorry, Mokuba, but I have to go out of town next weekend. It's an important business deal," Seto explained.

Mokuba pulled his brother in for a hug.

"I know, Seto. It's okay. I invited my friend to come and he can make it. I'll ask if he can take some pictures and video so you can still see the quiz bowl," Mokuba said.

Seto nodded.

"I'd like that. Thanks again for the cake. Good night, Mokuba."

"Good night, Big Brother. I love you."

Smile. "I love you, too."

 **END OF CHAPTER SEVEN**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** For argument's sake with this story, the school year runs from August to May. Joey was hired by Nakamura in mid-August.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

The contracts in front of him were important to review before he arrived. However, Seto couldn't concentrate for the life of him. He felt bad he wasn't at his brother's first quiz bowl competition, but the out of town visit had been necessary.

Meanwhile, back in Domino, the competition was beginning. Thanks to Mokuba's help, Joey got a front row seat. Of course, it helped he had worked it out with the school to videotape the competition for them. Nakamura had been more than happy to change his schedule around.

Mokuba sat stiff in his seat in his school uniform. Joey could tell he was nervous. Since they weren't starting yet, Joey left his seat and went down to Mokuba. The youth shook his head when Joey stepped into his line of view. The blonde crouched down to rest his head on his arms on the table.

"Hey," he greeted.

Mokuba forced a small grin to his face.

"H-H-Hi," Mokuba said.

"There ain't nothin' to be worried 'bout, kid. Yer smart, ya been studyin' hard fer this, and yer ready," Joey said, letting his accent slur a little bit through his words.

Whether it was Joey's words or his at ease accent, Mokuba wasn't sure, but he found the stress melting away. Joey was right. He was smart, just like his big brother. He _had_ been studying hard to prepare for the quiz bowl.

"Thanks, Joey," Mokuba smiled.

Joey flashed him a peace sign. "Anytime, Mokuba."

Joey and Mokuba exchanged a fist bump before Joey returned to his seat. The host came out with microphone on and everyone took their seats. Joey pressed record and tried to make sure the people around him didn't bump the tripod.

"Good morning, City of Domino! Welcome to the Thirteenth Annual Elementary School Quiz Bowl Competition. We want to thank you all for coming out today to support our students."

The host listed off the sponsors before welcoming the first two schools to compete.

"Our categories for the first competition are Word Origins, Literature, Islands, Animals, and Pop Culture. Team Two has won the coin toss. They will choose the first category," the host announced.

The trio sitting across from Mokuba's side of the room huddled together before the lead member spoke.

"We'll take Animals," he said.

The host nodded as he picked up his first card.

"Your question is what are the only two mammals that lay eggs?"

Joey scrunched his face up as he watched the team against Mokuba brainstorm. He didn't even know mammals _could_ lay eggs. Finally, the leader member piped up again.

"The duck billed platypus and the extinct dodo," he answered.

A loud buzzer sound went off.

"I'm sorry. That is incorrect. Team One, now is your chance to respond. What are the only two mammals that lay eggs?"

Having already been discussing the question with his teammates, Mokuba immediately spoke up.

"The duck billed platypus and the spiny anteater," he answered.

A different, chiming sound went off. The crowd cheered with light clapping.

"That is correct. Team One has earned the point and the right to choose the category."

Mokuba considered the options before telling the host to remain on the same topic.

"Very well. The next question is what kind of creature is a Portuguese man o' war?"

One of Mokuba's team members instantly piped up. Joey was impressed. How could such a powerful name belong to a jellfish? They went through several questions in the animal category. The last question came before the break.

"Which large mammal's tail is so strong it can stand on it and lift its hind legs off the ground?"

Joey grinned. Mokuba had reviewed quiz bowl information in the car when he had driven the younger male home. This very question had come up and Joey knew Mokuba had the answer.

Mokuba grinned big as he proudly proclaimed, "The kangaroo!"

"That is correct. We will take a short break before continuing. Team One currently leads."

Mokuba got up to walk around and stretch his legs. He watched the camera while Joey took a quick trip to the bathroom. When he came back, the competition was ready to continue. Joey wished him luck and continued the taping once the host appeared.

The competition went back and forth. Each team answered questions wrong and right, earning points for the correct responses given. Joey was amongst the loudest cheering when Mokuba's team was announced the winner and moved on to the next round. They grabbed a quick lunch at the snack bar in the convention center while the rest of the first round matches went on.

The competition continued into the afternoon until the semifinalists were determined for the next day. Joey wasn't surprised Mokuba's team made it to the semifinals. After he packed up the video equipment, Joey called for Roland to come pick them up. Joey had Roland drop them off for dinner where he treated Mokuba for his hard day of work. By the time they arrived back at the house, Mokuba was out cold leaning against Joey.

Roland stepped back and watched as Joey lifted Mokuba onto his back. It reminded the Head of Security of many times Seto himself had lifted his brother up. Joey carried Mokuba with ease. It was clear he saw the young man as a friend and adopted little brother.

Roland accompanied them upstairs to ensure there was no accidents. When Joey reached Mokuba's room, Roland opened the door for him. Joey set Mokuba down on his bed and woke him up long enough to have him change in his pajamas and brush his teeth. Joey tucked in the young man, but was stopped by a hand snagging in his wrist when he tried to step back.

" _Thanks for being there today. I didn't tell Big Brother the truth. I was really sad he couldn't come,_ " Mokuba murmured, sleepily.

Joey knew despite his distance that Roland could hear the youth perfectly. Unfortunately for him, Joey was close enough, the small lighting was bright enough, and Mokuba spoke loud enough for him to have heard as well. The blonde freed his wrist to take Mokuba's hand and squeeze it gently.

" _It's okay, kid. I know your brother really cares about you and he woulda moved the Earth to be there today. But you and me? We both know he wouldn't have missed it this for any little old thing. He'll be back soon,_ " Joey murmured back.

Mokuba's face relaxed as he whispered a quiet thank you. Luckily, Joey caught that one with his lipreading abilities. Mokuba turned his head into his pillow and drifted right off to sleep. Joey quietly crept out of the room. He started towards the stairs with Roland right behind him.

He was mildly surprised when Roland gave him a ride home. He knew from Mokuba he would be given a ride, but he didn't know it would be from the Head of Security. They rode in silence with Joey riding in the passenger seat of the black SUV. When they pulled up to the curb, Roland stopped him short from getting out.

"I have not told Mr. Kaiba of your employment at Kaiba Corp or your interactions with his brother. Only if Mr. Kaiba questions me, will I tell him and it would be to tell him of the hard work you've put in for both causes," Roland told him.

Joey cracked a small smile.

"Good night, Sir. Thank you for the ride."

It felt like he had just laid down to sleep when it was suddenly time to wake up. The semifinals started earlier than the competition start yesterday. Joey was grateful that Roland and Mokuba picked him up. He thanked Mokuba for the breakfast bagel he offered.

Once back at the convention center, Joey set up the equipment in the same spot. This time, however, Mokuba returned from a meeting of the teams to ask him to hold his phone.

"Why? You had it on you yesterday and nobody fussed," Joey commented.

Mokuba sighed.

"I know, but the host says a team was caught cheating yesterday with using their cell phones. We've all been asked to give our cell phones to a parent or guardian," Mokuba said.

Joey chuckled. "Well, I'm neither."

Mokuba laughed. "No, but you're close enough."

Joey sighed, but accepted the phone. He set it down in an outer pocket of the camera bag sitting on the ground.

"Thanks, Joey!"

The semifinals were much like yesterday except the questions were harder. Some of the questions, Joey had a hard time understanding what they were even asking. The semifinal break had just ended and they were starting up when a buzz vibrated against his pants leg. Joey reached down to pull out Mokuba's phone. There was a text from Kaiba.

Joey got Mokuba's attention and gestured at his phone. Mokuba threw his hands up. There wasn't anything he could do as the host was starting up again. Joey brought the phone down to his lap and pulled up the text.

 **Big Brother**

10:02AM

 _Good morning, Mokuba. How is the competition today?_

Joey tapped the Text Message marker at the bottom, waited for the touchscreen letters to appear, and typed out a message with his thumb.

 **Mokuba**

 _The mid-break just ended. Mokuba is back competing. His team is losing but only by a few points._

Joey hit Send and put the phone back. He wasn't surprised when a second later he felt another buzz against his leg. He pulled the phone back out.

 **Big Brother**

 _You must be Mokuba's friend. He never mentioned your name._

Joey cursed under his breath, earning him a glare from a mother nearby. Joey knew that was Kaiba's way of fishing for a name. He did some quick thinking before sending the next reply.

 **Mokuba**

 _Everyone calls me Wheels._

The next reply came with acceptance of a name and inquiry of how the semi-final match was going. After a quick glance up, Joey relayed to him that Mokuba's team had taken the lead. He texted back and forth a little longer before Kaiba sent the final text.

 **Big Brother**

 _Tell Mokuba I will be home this afternoon at 6:00._

 **Mokuba**

 _Will do._

/…/

"I'm sorry to hear you didn't win."

Mokuba shrugged as he slurped up a spaghetti noodle.

"It's okay, Big Brother. I had a fun time and we _did_ win second place," Mokuba said.

Seto smiled. Using a fork and spoon, he spun his noodles to wrap around on his fork. He brought it up to his mouth and chewed softly.

"Would you mind if we looked at the video after dinner?" Seto asked.

Mokuba grinned. "Sure, Big Brother!"

Seto reached out to grasp his drink. He took a long sip before placing it down next to his plate.

"How long have you known your friend Wheels?" Seto asked.

It was only because Joey had explained things to Mokuba that he wasn't thrown off by the question.

"Wheels? He's been a friend for a few years. You'd like him," Mokuba said.

Truth be told, his brother and Joey were a lot alike. He could see them being really good friends, if they could only get along. Seto chuckled as he reached over to ruffle Mokuba's head.

"I'm sure I would like him, Mokuba. After all, if he's a friend of yours, then he must not be that bad of a kid," Seto said.

Mokuba could do nothing more than smile. If only Seto knew.

 **END OF CHAPTER EIGHT**


	9. Chapter 9

**Talyak:** Yep, Mokuba went to town on the competition! Enjoy your new chapter.

 **CHAPTER NINE**

[Monday evening]

Hawk stretched his limbs. He had been sitting for way too long. As he stood from his chair, Joey wheeled in with his cart.

"Hey Hawk! Keeping busy?" Joey asked.

Hawk chuckled.

"You got it, Wheels. Been busy with this," he said, holding up an object.

Joey frowned. It looked like a Rubik's Cube. Instead of the usual three rows on each side, this particular cube had five rows. If Joey did his math right, there was 150 little blocks of color. The colors were all mixed around like a kid had gotten a hold of it.

"What's that?" Joey asked.

Hawk glared. "A project idea we're playing around with. I'm worried it's too challenging. It's been passed around all the team members and no one's solved it yet."

Joey nodded his head before picking up the trash can and emptying it. Running a hand over his face, Hawk excused himself. He walked down to the end of the hall where he got a drink of water from a cooler. After there, he mved on to the bathroom to relieve himself and wash his face.

When he returned to his office, Joey was already gone. Sitting down at his desk, Hawk reached out to pick up the modified Rubik's Cube to give it another try.

"What the…?"

To his astonishment, the Rubik's Cube was solved. Before he could question who had solved it, he found a sticky note message addressed to him.

 **Hawk,**

 **Thanks for the challenge! That was fun!**

 _ **Wheels**_

Hawk made an hmm sound in the back of his throat. He reached out for his phone and dialed an extension. He held the receiver up to his ear while holding the cube in his other hand.

"Hello, Kita? Is Mr. Kaiba still in? Good! Patch me through, will you? Thanks! Yes, I can wait."

[Tuesday]

Joey was cleaning up one of the conference rooms when Hawk came through.

"Good evening, Wheels. Sorry to interrupt you, but I left some papers in here," Hawk apologized.

Joey chuckled.

"So I got your team to blame for this mess?" he joked.

Hawk laughed.

"Yes, I suppose you can put it that way," Hawk replied.

Joey was cleaning the windows, leaving his back to Hawk. The older male was watching him with a curious look. He waited until Joey was done with the windows and turning around before catching his attention.

"I have a question," Hawk said.

Joey scrunched up his face. Hawk looked like he had said something, but Joey didn't catch it.

"What was that?" Joey asked.

Thinking he must have mumbled, Hawk repeated his statement.

Joey shrugged. "Sure."

"I heard a riddle of a question from a friend today and I've had difficulty solving it."

Leaning back on the table, Joey listened intently to the riddle.

There was farmer who had a chicken, fox, and chicken feed. He had to get them all across a river in his boat, but he could only take one at a time. He can't leave the fox with the chicken or the chicken with the feed because they'll be eaten. How does he get all three across?

Joey closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Hawk watched intrigued as Joey processed the question. A small smile flit across Joey's face. The young man opened his eyes as he brought his head level.

"Seems kinda clear to me," Joey answered.

Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Do tell."

"Well, you take the chicken over first. Then you go back and get the feed. But when you get to where the chicken is, take the chicken back to the side where the fox is. Then take the fox over to the chicken feed. And last you go back for the chicken," Joey explained.

Hawk couldn't stop from grinning. He shook his head as he turned around to scoop up the forgotten papers.

[Wednesday]

"Not feeling too good, huh, old man?"

Wheeler Senior groaned as Joey laid a cold washcloth across his forehead.

" 'm sorry 'm burden," he murmured.

Joey lightly shushed him.

"You ain't a burden, Dad. You're _family_ and family ain't ever a burden," Joey told him.

His father smiled weakly. Joey offered to stay home from school and take care of his father. However, Wheeler Senior waved his son off.

"Go t' school. Needa 'eep grades up," his father slurred.

Joey smiled. He leaned to give his dad a small kiss on top of his head.

"I'll call your AA mentor and let him know you probably won't make it tonight."

His father murmured a note of gratitude before turning away to fall asleep. Joey made sure his covers were pulled up before standing up to step outside. On his way to school, he stopped at the payphone outside and called his father's AA mentor.

"Yea, yea. Thanks. Yea, we appreciate it. You too."

Joey tried to concentrate in school, but his thoughts kept drifting back to his dad. Having once been a heavy depressed drinker, Wheeler Senior was known for his medical issues. Whenever he got sick, Joey worried that it could be his liver.

He was awake enough in school to complete his classwork and kick-warn Kaiba to put his phone away. It brought a little amusement to him that the CEO still didn't seem to understand the reasoning behind him kicking his desk chair.

He was grateful when the school day finally ended. Luckily, he didn't have work this afternoon so he was able to go straight home and drop everything. His father still didn't feel well, but his fever was gone. While his father slept, Joey quietly cleaned the apartment and fixed dinner. He fixed a simple soup and toasted bread.

He got his father to sit up and eat some of it before going back to sleep. After eating some dinner, Joey sat at the kitchen table working on homework.

[Thursday]

When Joey came through the offices that evening, Hawk's office was surprisingly empty. However, Joey did discover a message for him sitting taped just above the trash can. Joey picked it up and read it.

 _Hey Wheels!_

 _Sorry, but I took a few days off. I had another question for you, though. What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?_

 _Later!_

 _Hawk_

Joey hummed as he walked around the office cleaning up and added a new Kleenex box. He ran the question through his head. It took most of his cleaning on the floor to produce an answer.

 _Later!_

 _Hawk_

 _ **Man. A baby crawls on all fours, then walks on two legs as an adult, and uses two legs and a cane when they're old.**_

[Friday]

Joey was happy to get done with work for the evening. Instead of taking the bus home, he hopped on a different bus which took him to the Game Shop. Yugi opened the door before Joey even had a chance to knock.

"Hey Joey! Glad you could make it! Everyone else is already here," Yugi greeted.

Joey reached out to snatch his friend into his arms and gave him a big hug.

"Great! Hope ya guys didn't start the marathon without me," Joey said.

Yugi shook his head. "Never!"

Joey followed Yugi upstairs where he found the whole gang, including Téa and Mai. The busty blonde stood up and gave him a warm hug.

"It's been a while since I've seen you, Joey. How are things?" Mai asked, taking back her seat next to Téa.

Joey grinned. "I'm good. Been working and keeping busy."

Mai shook her head with her loud, flirtatious chuckle.

"Busy Joey, as usual. I'm telling you if you just quit school and went into dueling professionally, you could make more money than you could ever dream," Mai told him.

Joey shook his head. Mai had told him this on several occasions.

"I ain't leavin' school, Mai, but thanks for the suggestion," Joey replied.

Mai shrugged before turning back to her conversation with Téa. Yami handed Joey a drink while Yugi dropped in the first DVD.

As everyone sat down in their places, Joey found himself glancing around the room. Téa and Mai were sitting on the couch together, sitting awfully close. Yugi and Yami were cuddling together on the loveseat. Ryou sat comfortably in the armchair with Bakura perched on the armrest with his arm wrapped around Ryou's shoulders. Tristan and Duke, who were still oblivious as Hell, sat close on a big bean bag chair.

This left Joey in his usual chair. It was times like this he really enjoyed the presence of his friends, but dreaded the time together at the same time. Everyone seemed to have someone.

 _Except me,_ Joey thought.

He found himself unable to concentrate on the movie. He wondered if maybe he was missing out on parts of high school life by working all the time and not dating. Then again…

 _Who would wanna date a guy like me,_ Joey thought.

Too wrapped up in the movie, no one spotted the small lone tear that fell down Joey's cheek.

[Friday]

"He's the perfect candidate."

Seto saved the word document he was typing and turned in his chair to regard his employee.

"Are you certain of this decision?" Seto asked.

Hawk nodded.

"Quite. He answered all the trick questions correctly and you know that Rubik's Cube project we were looking at?" Nod. " _Solved it._ "

Seto raised an eyebrow. He mulled over the other's words for a few minutes before speaking.

"Very well. Offer the internship to him. If he accepts, push his new paperwork through HR. Tell him the pay will not be different from where he is now, but after a year of interning, he could be looking at full-time employment upon graduation," Seto told him.

Hawk stood up and stepped the short distance between them to shake his hand.

"Thank you, Sir. I know you won't regret this decision. I see great things in this young man," Hawk said.

Seto nodded.

[Saturday]

Joey arrived early that morning for work. He popped his head in to see Nakamura and Hawk talking.

"Morning, guys. Thought I'd say hi before I clocked in," Joey said.

Nakamura gestured for him to come in.

"We were just talking about you, Wheeler. Hawkins has come down here to offer you a new position in the company," Nakamura said.

Joey tilted his head to the side while turning his gaze towards Hawk. The male chuckled.

"I know you've done a wonderful job with the janitorial staff and with Nakamura, but I've come to offer you a paid internship with _my_ department. If you accept it, you will receive a full review at the end of a year and could be offered a full-time job after you graduate."

Joey felt conflicted. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. However, he didn't want to ditch on Nakamura after he hired him. The man had been wonderful to work with.

"Wheeler."

Joey turned to look at Nakamura. The man had his arms crossed over his chest and a serious look on his face.

"You're fired."

Hawk's eyebrows flew up and Joey's jaw threatened to drop. That was until he spotted the tiny twinkle in Nakamura's eye. Joey shook his head.

"Ya can't fire me, old man. I _quit_."

Nakamura's booming laugh filled the room as he pushed himself to his feet. He clapped a hand on Joey's back and shook his hand.

"Don't you worry about us, Wheeler. I'll find someone to fill the position. You're a bright young man and you'll do well with Hawkins' team. Besides, I know you'll come down and visit," Nakamura told him.

Joey grinned. Nakamura must have sensed he didn't want to hurt his feelings so had given him a way out. He cleaned out his locker and traveled upstairs with Hawk to his new place. Hawk set him up with a single, corner cubicle with a window view.

"Really you won't spend most of your time here. Most times, the team is together or with partners. In fact, we got a team meeting in a few minutes. Here's your new uniform shirt," Hawk said, handing him a box.

Joey quirked an eyebrow at him.

"How'd you know I was gonna say yes?" he inquired.

Hawk chuckled.

"What makes you think I was going to let you say no?"

The pair shared a good chuckle. Joey excused himself to the bathroom to change his shirt out before meeting Hawk at one of the conference rooms. Hawk had him sit down on his left. A few people filed into the room and Hawk closed the door.

"Good morning, Team. I want you all to welcome the newest member to our team. This is Joey Wheeler, our new intern. You already know me, but I'll let everyone else do their introductions."

The team consisted of four other members, bringing the team to an even six. There was two women and two other men. The oldest of the team was elderly Reiko Ikehata. She had been with the company the longest. The men were Jin and Jo Tokuma. It turned out they were cousins. Strange, because they reminded Joey more like twins.

The remaining team member, Sakura Oshima, was only a few years older than Joey. She was a recent college graduate with special training in graphic design. She explained that her job was to follow projects from their department to the other to oversee the designing from paper to solid. She brought feedback back and forth from team to team.

"Welcome to the team, Wheeler. Hawk told us you solved that Rubik's Cube prototype we were working on. How'd you manage that?" Reiko asked.

Joey leaned forward on the table and started explaining his process of how he had solved the large puzzle. The others were nodding by the time he finished. They continued the meeting with discussing current projects, upcoming meetings, and other important information. Joey was quickly brought up to speed on everything.

After the meeting, everyone split up for lunch. Joey spent the time getting to know some of his new team members. He later checked the email on his phone and was pleased to see a notice that his hearing aids had arrived. The Audiologist wrote that he could come in Tuesday or Thursday to be fitted with them. Joey looked at his new schedule on the Kaiba Corp employee app. He was working Thursday, but he was free Tuesday.

He grinned from ear to ear. He couldn't wait.

 **END OF CHAPTER NINE**


	10. Chapter 10

**Guest:** Thanks! I'm glad you're super excited for my updates. Hope you enjoy the new chapter!

 **Shin:** Thank you, thank you. I feel like Joey is the personality that he puts his heart into everything he does. And I've found that the small stuff isn't always recognized, but it adds up after a while when it does.

 **CHAPTER TEN**

[November 14]

Joey's left knee started bouncing. He had barely been able to sleep last night or sit through class. He had ended up kicking Kaiba's desk more often than not, earning him a pencil whack to the back of his hand.

Joey rubbed the back of his left hand. It still smarted from the strike. Kaiba had perfect accuracy.

"Joseph Wheeler!"

Joey leapt to his feet and whirled around to face the Audiologist. She chuckled.

"Excited, huh? Follow me to the back," she said.

Joey followed her to an open office area. She had him sit in a barber-like chair. The Audiologist took out a black case, opened it, and pulled the hearing aids out. She had fresh batteries in and closed them and put them in his ears. He heard some music chime before the hearing aids turned on.

"How do the hearing aids feel? How's the sound quality of my voice? Too soft, too loud?" the Audiologist questioned.

Joey couldn't contain the smile. The hearing aids felt comfortable. He could hear better than he had in years.

"They feel great, Doc. I can hear you fine," Joey said.

The Audiologist smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Now you have buttons on either ear. Those are for volume control."

She reviewed with him how to properly put in and take out his hearing aids, clean them, and troubleshoot any small problems. Joey noticed when he looked in a small mirror, he found that his hair hid his hearing aids perfectly. The Audiologist walked him out to the front desk.

"I'm going to want to see you next month to see how you're doing. You can schedule that with my receptionist," she explained.

"Awesome! Thanks, Doc. I even brought my first payment with me," Joey said, pulling a check out of his pocket.

The Audiologist surprised him by reaching around the halfway and open window to pull out a small box. When she handed it to him, he discovered hearing aid batteries.

"You get free batteries for a year. We put all our new patients in a drawing and pick a name every month and your name was picked," the Audiologist told him.

Joey was speechless. He stuttered out a response before thanking the woman. She patted his shoulder and passed him to call back her next patient. Joey turned back to the receptionist.

"I have an opening for 3:30 on Friday, December 15," the receptionist told him.

Joey pulled out his phone, pulled up the calendar, and put it in for the date. Then he went right into his work app to request he not be scheduled that day. He borrowed a pen to sign his check and handed it over to the receptionist.

"Thank you. Do you need a receipt?"

Joey shook his head. "Nah. I'm good."

Joey left nearly skipping. He could hear everything so clearly now. He had nearly forgotten what that felt like. He was so happy he felt like nothing could get him down.

Joey rode the bus across town to home. He found himself overhearing the different conversations on the bus. He tried not to eavesdrop, but he couldn't help it. When he arrived home, Joey couldn't wait to show his dad his hearing aids.

He stopped downstairs to pull the mail out of the box before dashing up the stairs to the apartment. When he came in, he was surprised to find his dad's AA mentor visiting.

"Hello, Mr. Hirano," Joey greeted.

The graying man smiled.

"Kon'nichiwa. How are you?" he asked.

Joey grinned.

"I'm great! Hey, Dad. Check 'em out," Joey said.

His father smiled as Joey pulled his hair back to reveal his hearing aids. He took one out to show him.

"That's great, son. How do they feel?"

"Awesome! I can hear everything!"

His father let out a loud sigh. Joey noticed for the first time how sad his dad looked. It was then that it occurred to him that the last time his father's AA Mentor had been here…

"Dad…is everything okay?" Joey asked.

Wheeler Senior groaned. He dropped his head before slowly lifting it. He gestured for Joey to take a seat. Joey grabbed a chair and brought it over to sit in front of his dad. He reached out to grasp his dad's hand.

"Dad, it's okay. Tell me what's wrong," Joey said.

His father let out a rough cough that had him grasping at his chest. Joey moved on autopilot as he disappeared into the kitchen and reappeared with a drink of water for him. His father thanked him, took a long chug, and placed it down on the coffee table. He reached out to grasp his son's hand.

"It's not what ya think. I haven't slipped, Joey," he told him.

A big sigh of relief blew out of Joey. His father flashed him a sympathetic look.

"Ya know how sick I've been this last month er so?" Nod. "I finally went and saw a doctor. It's not good, Joey."

Joey listened intently as his father explained how his health issues had increased in recent months. It had become worse in the recent month or so.

"The doctor…he said part of the problems might be alleviated with…with leaving the city," his father confessed.

Joey's heart felt like someone was squeezing it. It wasn't what he suspected, but it didn't make the news any harder to swallow.

"I'm gonna be movin' out to the country, son. Hirano is gonna help me find a place and he'll come out to help me adjust and everythin'," Wheeler Senior explained.

There was that heart squeezing feeling again.

"Da…Dad, _I can't._ I can't leave everything here. I've still gotta finish this semester, another semester, and whole 'nother year of school. My friends are here, I've gotta great job…I'm sorry, Dad," Joey replied.

Wheeler Senior chuckled. He squeezed his son's hand.

"I know that, Joey. _I'm_ going to the country. _You_ are staying here," he said.

"Huh?"

Joey didn't have to act confused. He was now confused as Hell. Thankfully, his father explained everything. While Hirano looked for a place for him in the country, Joey's father was going to help him find an apartment and he was going to pay the deposit and first month's rent for his son.

"You'll come and visit, right? I know you'll be busy and all," his father said.

Joey nodded.

"Yea. Of course, Dad. Think you'll still be here for Thanksgiving?"

His father looked at Hirano. The older male nodded.

"It's almost assured. I will probably have something before Christmas, though," Hirano explained.

Joey grinned. "Awesome! Then let's have a great Thanksgiving before you. You're invited, too, Sir."

Hirano bowed his head with a smile.

"I would be honored."

Joey's father reached out to pat his cheek.

"You're a good son, Joey."

Joey reached up to take that hand and pat it.

"You're not so bad yourself, old man."

/…/

Yugi stared wide-eyed.

"So your dad is leaving?!" he exclaimed.

Joey nodded. He, Yugi, and Yami were sitting in an ice cream shop. Yugi and Joey each sat with a big cup of ice cream with toppings while Yami sat back with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Will you be going with him?" Yami questioned.

Joey shook his head.

"Nah. Turns out my dad's gonna help me find an apartment and pay for deposit and first month's rent. He's been saving pieces of his disability check," Joey explained.

Yugi was all smiles and congratulated Joey.

"I'm glad, Joey. I don't know what I would have done if you had to leave," Yugi commented before taking a bite of his chocolate ice cream.

In turn, Joey took a bite of his own ice cream. It didn't escape his notice that Yami was staring a hole into him. The former Pharaoh always seemed to be able to read his mind. It didn't surprise him when the male spoke next.

"I sense that you have more to tell us, Joey," Yami said.

Yugi looked confused at Yami before turning his gaze to Joey. The blonde was biting his bottom lip and looking nervous.

"What is it , Joey?" Yugi asked.

Joey blew out a long, steady stream of air with his sigh.

"I've nevah been sure about how to tell ya guys about this but…" Joey reached up to pull one of his hearing aids out.

He expected Yugi's eyes to get wide and Yami to raise his eyebrows or visa versa. What he didn't expect was the couple to share a secretive smile. Yugi turned his gaze back to his best friend.

"Yami suspected you might have a hearing loss, Joey. That's why we've been making sure we get your attention before we say something to you," Yugi explained.

Joey's jaw dropped. Here, he thought he had hidden it so well. Then again Yami _was_ an intelligent, former Pharaoh.

"Do the others know?" Joey asked.

Yami shook his head.

"No. They copied our behavior after watching us and having adopted it as normal behavior with you," Yami answered.

Joey's shoulders sagged. So he would have to share with the others then too. He let Yugi and Yami take a look at his hearing aid before he hooked it back into his ear. Since he was in a confessing mood, he let the other big secret out of the bag.

This time, he got the reaction he had been expecting. Yami's eyebrows shot up while Yugi's eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. Yugi struggled to form a response until he took a big, long sip of his drink.

" _You've been working for Kaiba Corp?!_ " Yugi gasped in a low murmur.

Joey shrugged his shoulders. "Well…yea. I mean I'm in a different department now, but I have since August."

Yami made a low hum sound. Yugi snapped his head to the side.

"You knew?!" he exclaimed.

"I _suspected_. I had no proof. I suspected you were working for Kaiba or Duke," Yami said.

Joey's head reared back.

"Dice Boy?! Over my _dead body_!" Joey snapped.

Yami rolled his eyes. Yugi chuckled behind his hand. Joey pushed his bowl of ice cream away.

"Yami made me lose muh appetite. Ugh. _Nasty,_ man. Just…" Joey gagged.

/…/

"They're really cool, Joey."

Mokuba held the hearing aid very carefully. He waited until the next red light to pass the hearing back to Joey. The older male pulled his hair back as he rolled the earmold into his ear and tucked his device behind his ear.

"Thanks, kid. Hey, I'm sorry you got rained out at Kaibaland," Joey said.

Mokuba shrugged. "It's okay. I'm glad you could come pick me up. I feel bad I got you called from work."

Joey waved his hand at him.

"It's all good. Roland rolled it into my job and Hawk understands. Besides, with yer brother in that meeting of his, I don't expect ya to wait all afternoon for him," Joey replied.

Mokuba reached out to hug Joey's arm. Joey twisted his arm to pat his head. They pulled up to the front gate where security buzzed them through. Joey pulled up to the front where he put the car in park. He reached in the back for an umbrella.

Sticking the umbrella outside, Joey opened it and dashed around to the other side. Mokuba climbed out and stayed close to Joey as the older male led him up to the front step. Mokuba turned around while Joey stood back with the umbrella still up.

"Thanks, Joey. Do you want to come in for lunch?" Mokuba asked.

Joey shook his head.

"Not today. I'll catch a late lunch back at the office."

Mokuba pouted. "Ah, but Jo-."

The front door unexpectedly opened to reveal Seto. Mokuba whipped around with wide eyes.

"Seto! What are you doing here?" he gasped.

Seto frowned at him.

"My meeting ended early. Roland informed me you were being brought home. I thought we might spend the afternoon together." Seto turned his gaze away from his brother. "What was taking so long?"

Mokuba nearly had a panic attack about Joey. Luckily, the male had used Seto's attention on Mokuba to run back to the car, throw the umbrella in, and dive in to the driver's seat. Mokuba was glad the rumble of thunder hid his sigh of relief. Seto's frown deepened as he watched the car pull away from the grounds and disappear out the gate.

He could have sworn he had seen blonde hair on the Kaiba Corp employee.

 _I don't have any security guards with blonde hair,_ Seto thought.

In fact, if he was a betting man, he would have put money on that particular patch of yellowish hair being identical to Wheeler's. But that was ridiculous.

 _Wheeler would never want to work at Kaiba Corp,_ Seto thought.

 **END OF CHAPTER TEN**


	11. Chapter 11

**Talyak:** I've found that some of the most intelligent people are absolutely clueless when it comes to some things. They'll come across each other soon, but not too soon.

 **Magicjewel:** Ha Ha Yep. Poor Seto. Glad you can't wait because here's more!

 **CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Joey huffed as he crossed out another name. His father and him were not having any luck with finding an apartment. The search wasn't panning out well and it was a distraction from work and school. He had been restless all week. The only reason he had been able to keep up in school was the new addition of his hearing aids.

Joey put his pen down in favor of picking up his fork. He pushed his food around on the plate before spearing a piece of chicken. He brought it up to his mouth and chewed absentmindedly on it. He was startled out of his thoughts when Sakura suddenly plopped down across from him. She chuckled as she peeled open her yogurt cup.

"Hawkins give you your first project? You look frazzled," she said while reaching up to push her glasses up her nose.

Joey groaned.

"No. He's a'pposed to start me on my first project next week." Sigh. "I'm trying to find a new apartment."

Sakura frowned as she swallowed her mouthful of yogurt.

"Something wrong with the place you're at?" she questioned.

"Sort of. My dad and I are trying to find me a place to stay."

Sakura was silent as she swallowed her new bite of yogurt.

"Why not move into Blue Towers?" "Huh?"

Sakura laughed as she put her spoon and empty yogurt cup down.

"I keep forgetting you're still new to the business. I'm sure you know Blue Towers is a Kaiba Corp investment?" Nod. "Bet you didn't know three of the floors are reserved for employees."

"What?!" Joey gasped.

Sakura shook her head. She explained the purpose of the eight floor apartment complex. The top two floors were for visitors and business partners of the company. The middle three floors were for general public. The bottom three floors were reserved for employees.

"We're given discounted rent and utilities and all are at good rates. I happen to know they always have apartments available. Most of the employees that rent the apartments are there for short term while they transition between homes. Hawk lives there. Ask him for the number of who to contact," Sakura explained.

Joey grinned.

"Thanks! I'll go ask him now," Joey said, jumping to his feet.

"He's in a meeting with the CEO," Sakura said.

"It can wait," Joey said, slumping back down in his seat.

Sakura grinned as she chewed on her salad. She waited until she was done chewing to speak again.

"I thought you might say that. After lunch, why don't you come with me to the testing area? I can show you some of the ideas we had that are in the testing stages," Sakura said.

Joey agreed. Joey finished up his lunch and looked up the Blue Towers on his kPhone while Sakura continued eating. The apartments sounded impressive and the pictures were equally impressive. He stowed his phone away when Sakura finished eating. They threw their trash away and Joey followed her to the testing area.

He wasn't surprised to find a group of people of different ages working on the modified Rubik's Cube. He found it interesting they were trying different colors to use. One Rubik's Cube reminded him of a Blue Eyes White Dragon. It had black, light blue, silver, white, dark gray, and dark blue.

"You still hold the record for finishing it in the fastest time. We're hoping to finish testing and push this out for the Christmas season," Sakura said.

Joey chuckled. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

The testing area had two other projects being worked on. One was a thin wristband that displayed your phone screen on your arm. It could be used like a phone, but without having to actually be on your phone. It could be used in places like the bathtub that phones couldn't normally be used in.

The other project was an odd, but inventive. It was a set of batteries that after bought, could be charged using a USB port. The current batteries being tested were AA and AAA. Joey could see the potential need for those. Only problem he foresaw was people would only need to buy so many batteries and then not need to buy any more for as long they were able to be charged.

Joey even got to try on the wristband and give it a try. It was weird washing his hands and being able to access his phone on his arm via the wristband.

"That was too weird," Joey commented as they weaved through the cubicles.

Sakura grinned. " _That_ one was _my_ brainchild."

Joey shook his head. She was a quirky coworker. He especially loved her high pigtails rolled into two buns at the top of her head. Her hair was a mixture of bright pink and black. She had a few loose strands hanging down on each side of her face.

They popped their head into Hawk's office, but he still wasn't back yet.

"Long meeting, huh?" Joey commented.

Sakura shrugged. "Not unusual. Come on."

For the remaining time he was on the clock, Joey shadowed Sakura. She showed him some of the software and reports they used for their projects. By the time he was closing in on quitting time, Hawk had returned to his office.

"Guess you're clocking out, huh, Wheels?" Hawk said, straightening some papers on his desk.

"Yea. Hey, do you have the number for the people at Blue Towers? I'm trying to find an apartment and Sakura mentioned 'em," Joey said.

Hawk grinned. He pulled out his phone and thumbed through the contacts. He pulled a mini notebook close, took out a pen, and wrote down a number.

"Here. This is the agent to contact. Very friendly guy. Give him a call and mention my name. He'll hook you up," Hawk said.

Joey took the paper with a note of gratitude.

"Thanks! I'll give him a call soon as I leave here," Joey said.

Hawk smiled, but didn't say anything. Joey looked at him and raised an eyebrow like saying 'What?'

"I'm surprised you didn't tell me sooner. Of course, I'd kinda already figured it out for myself," Hawk commented.

Joey's face screwed up in great confusion.

" _Huh?!_ "

Hawk threw his head back while letting out a hearty laugh. He stood up to walk around his desk.

"I didn't mean to throw you off. It's just I'm glad to see you got yourself some hearing aids. I could tell they've been a big help to you," Hawk said.

Joey was stunned. "How th-? What th-? _**HUH**_?!"

Hawk snickered. He shocked Joey even more when he reached up to his own right ear. From behind his ear, he pulled off a large hearing device with a short cord leading to a circular piece.

"I know how it is, Joey. See, I have a hearing loss, too. I had the Cochlear Implant surgery when I was two," Hawk explained.

Joey was curious as to how he hadn't realized the Cochlear Implant, or CI, sooner. It turns out Hawk had his hair shaved where the magnetic portion was attached, but the other hair ghosted over it. It kept the device well hidden. As he watched Hawk put his CI back on, Joey found that he could now spot the small bit of the clear-colored hook that was visible hanging over the front of his ear.

"You spotted my hooks and tubes," Joey said.

Hawk nodded. "I observed you the few times I saw you before I asked you to move departments. You showed a lot of the same behaviors I used to whenever my CI wasn't working properly or I lost it. Those hearing aids popping up just confirmed my suspicions."

Joey groaned.

"Does that mean Kaiba knows, too?" Joey asked.

Hawk shook his head.

"He doesn't even know Joey Wheeler works here. He only knows you by your nickname 'Wheels.' It's not his business who has a hearing loss or vision loss or whatever. Only if you need accommodations, then he prefers to know. He appreciates knowing, but it shouldn't matter since you two aren't likely to cross paths," Hawk answered.

The side of Joey's mouth quipped upwards in a small smirk.

"You rock, Hawk. Thanks."

"You're welcome, Wheels. You're great, too."

After leaving Hawk, Joey wandered down to the daycare. The kids were having fun with painting. He went right to work with assisting the teacher and aide with clean-up while putting the paintings in a place to dry. As the kids finished, he pulled out a book from his bag.

"Anyone ever been on a bear hunt?" Joey asked.

The children shook their heads while crying out, "No! Nuh uh! Read it, read it!"

Joey opened the book and held it out to the side where everyone could see the illustrations. Joey read it almost like a song.

"We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. What a beautiful day! We're not scared."

The kids sat forward almost up off the floor. They started patting their legs to the beat of Joey's words.

"Uh oh! Grass. _Long_ , wavy grass. We can't go over it, can't go under it. Oh no! We got to go through it. Swishy swashy! Swishy Swashy! Swishy swashy!"

Joey put the book down in his lap and showed the kids how to slide their hands back and forth together to make a swishing sound. Each part of the book included a new place where Joey paused and showed the kids how to do a wild motion to go with the piece. They went through the tall grass, a deep river, muddy grounds, a dark forest, a swirling snowstorm, and to a gloomy-looking cave.

By this point, the kids were up on their feet, doing the motions with Joey.

"Tiptoe! Tiptoe! Tiptoe! … _What's that?_ "

The children giggled and the excitement in the room went up. The teacher and aide smiled gratefully over at him as they finished cleaning up.

"One shiny wet nose! _Two_ big _furry_ ears! _Two_ big googly _eyes!_ " Joey read.

The kids started jumping up and down. Many of them were already exclaiming, "Bear! Bear! It's a bear!"

Joey turned the next page. "It's a bear!"

Joey instructed the kids to run in place where they were. They went back through all the places they had been through in the book until they finally collapsed on the ground.

"Get to our front door. Open the door. Up the stairs. Oh no!"

The kids jerked their heads up. Joey clapped a hand to his forehead.

"We _forgot_ to shut the door. Back downstairs. Shut the door. Back upstairs. Into the bedroom. Into bed. Under the covers."

They pretended to jump into their beds and throwing blankets over themselves. Joey didn't realize the aide was recording with her phone.

"We're not going on a bear hunt… _again._ "

The children continued giggling and begged for more reading. Joey read two more books before helping the kids settle down for a late nap. In that time, two of the kids had been picked up, leaving four to remain. The aide giggled. The teacher stared at her.

"Shh! You'll wake them. Besides, what's so funny?" the teacher asked.

The aide only pointed over her shoulder. The teacher turned with an annoyed look on her face, only to break out in a warm smile. Joey was seated on the ground with his back against the wall. One of the more fussy three and a half year olds was curled up fast asleep in Joey's lap. A sleepy Joey had his head lowered, hiding his face. He weakly tried to pull his arm away, but the little one's hand shot out to pull it back.

The teacher continued getting the students' backpacks together. At some point, Seto came in with a box.

"Your new supplies arrived, but they were delivered upstairs to me," Seto said, keeping his voice in a low murmur.

The teacher made an "oh" face and gently apologized. Seto waved her apology off.

"It happens. Who's your special friend?" Seto said, noticing a bigger figure amongst the children.

Due to the dimmed lighting in the area where they were napping, Seto could only tell the visitor was a male and light-haired.

"That's our Storyman. He came down to read to the kids after he got off work."

Seto made an hmm sound. He chose not to step closer, lest he disturb the children. He made a mental note to try to come by sometime and observe his employee in action.

/…/

The apartment was great. Joey had met with the agent in charge of renting the apartments to Kaiba Corp employees. The deal had been more than perfect and after touring the apartments, Joey signed the paperwork. His father called him out sick from school on Monday. This allowed him time to pack up what he had and move it to the new apartment.

Joey had been relieved the apartments came furnished. That was something neither Hawk nor Sakura mentioned. His father gave him things he hadn't expected to have. He shared with him dishes, cups, silverware, and other small momentos.

"You're the best, Dad," Joey said, wrapping his arms around his father.

His father returned the hug. He brought his hand up to pat his son firmly on the back.

"I'm just trying to do right by you, Joseph. I know I haven't made things easy on you," he told him.

Joey hugged his father even harder. His eyes were getting a little misty as he stepped back from the embrace.

"You _tried_. I know you have, Dad. And that's all I could _ever_ ask for," Joey said.

His father nodded.

"What say we have Thanksgiving here in your new apartment? The old apartment should be finished with the selling process and I'll be moving out to the country that weekend," he suggested.

Joey nodded.

"That'd be awesome. I know Yugi and Yami would love to come over and Gramps, too. I bet my team leader Hawk would love to come, if he ain't joinin' his family for the holiday. I already requested that day off. Could we…" Joey paused. "Could we invite 'Ren and Ma?"

His father patted his arm. " 'Course we can."

Joey's eyes began to blur again. He swiped his hand across them.

"Thanks, Pops."

Thankfully, he wasn't working that afternoon so after making sure his father got home okay, Joey wandered over to the Game Shop. The whole gang was there except Mai and Bakura. Mai was out on a modeling assignment and no one was sure where Bakura was.

"Joey, man, where you been? You missed school," Tristan greeted, pulling him into a playful headlock.

Joey laughed before breaking free. He brought his hand up to straighten his hair, but partially to make sure his hearing aids were still in place.

"I got an answer for that and a couple of da ot'er questions you've had," Joey said.

Duke looked up from the magazine he had draped across his lap.

"Like this secretive job you've been working at? Only work school _nights_ and weekends, got to wear a uniform…" Duke hinted.

Joey gave him a nasty look. "I can toss ya outta the room."

Duke shrugged and raised his magazine up to hide his face. The group all sat down in their places as Joey took in a deep breath and released it.

"First off, y'all should know I've been hiding a secret for a long time," Joey said.

"We already know you're gay," Duke said from behind the magazine.

"I _will_ throw you out!" Joey exclaimed, throwing a water bottle at him.

Duke expertly ducked it without dislodging his view from the magazine. Tristan chuckled as he patted Duke's knee.

"We _all_ already knew that, Duke. Go on, Jo," Tristan said.

Joey nodded.

"I've been hiding that I got a hearing problem," Joey said as he tucked his hair back, revealing his hearing aids.

His friends, with the exception of Yugi and Yami, all had different reactions.

"No way! What the fuck, man?!"

"Wha—What?! Joey, why wouldn't you tell us before?!"

"…huh?"

"…knew it."

After Joey finished threatening to deck Duke, he went on to explain his history of loss and recent events with buying his hearing aids.

"That's really cool, Joey," Téa remarked.

Joey scratched the back of his head. "Thanks. I'm sorry I didn't tell ya guys sooner."

Ryou shrugged.

"We get it, Joey. We just wish you had let us know so we could help you sooner," Ryou said.

Joey nodded.

"I know."

Ryou tilted his head.

"So if you were able to save that much money, then what kind of work have you been doing?" Ryou asked.

Joey smiled awkwardly.

"Well, I started as a janitor," Joey said.

A small snicker emitted from behind the magazine. Joey didn't have to throw something this time. Tristan nudged against Duke, earning Joey a small mumbled, "Sorry."

"Then I guess I made a big impression on one of the Department Heads. This last week, I started working with the Research and Development Department. I'm helping with coming up with new products…at Kaiba Corp."

The reactions he had been expecting came. Ryou's eyes bugged out and his mouth snapped shut. Téa gasped loudly with her hands flying up to cover her mouth. Tristan's bottom lip quivered as he tried to come up with some sort of response. Duke's reaction, however, was the icing on the cake for Joey.

The man's magazine had dropped from his hands to his lap. He looked like a cross between pissed off, disbelieving, and disgust. It reminded Joey of a Picasso painting.

"What. The. _**Hell?**_ I've been trying for over a _year_ to get a meeting _and_ contract with Kaiba and the asshole goes and _hires_ _ **you!**_ "

Joey's glare intensified. He'd had enough of Duke's mouth for one day.

"You know what, Devlin? You open that big mouth around me, but you don't got the guts to tell Tristan you're head over heels, on cloud nine, crazy for him!"

Duke's face turned a deep red while he was (finally) speechless. Tristan was still trying to figure out what to say, but now his gaze was shooting from Joey to Duke. The others looked equally shocked. They had all thought of saying something, but not quite in the manner Joey had.

"Things just got interesting," Yami murmured.

Yugi nodded. "No kidding."

 **END OF CHAPTER ELEVEN**


	12. Chapter 12

**Talyak:** Go big or go home is right. I figured Kaiba would take care of his own people.

 **Kittona:** Thanks! Here's my new update!

 **Author's Note: Prepare for a surprise!**

 **CHAPTER TWELVE**

Joey rubbed at his forehead. Friday was here and the week had not been easy. Monday had been chaotic with moving into the new apartment. His dad had stayed the first through nights with help helping with the remainder of the unpacking and helping him adjust to the new apartment. Work had been hectic with the team following up on current projects with the finishing stages before hitting the final approval to Kaiba. He had a tough science exam yesterday that he felt he did okay on, but not his best effort.

 **Beep beep.** Joey held back a groan. Now his left hearing aid was dying. He wasn't even halfway through class so he couldn't wait until the end to change it out. As his gaze fell to his pocket where his batteries were, his hand slid up to take his hearing aid out.

 _ **C-C-CR-CRACK!**_ Joey bit his bottom lip as he jerked hand away to his chest. His head snapped up to find his strict English teacher, Mrs. Williams, looming over him with a ruler in hand. Given the numbing pain in his hand, Joey had a good feeling what had happened.

"I've had _enough_ of your laziness, Mr. Wheeler. First, you show up to class _late_. Now I find you _listening to music_ in the middle of my class! I _won't_ have it. Detention this afternoon and every afternoon next week," she snapped at him.

She didn't even give him a chance to explain. Not that she would. She had had his number since before the first day he set foot in her classroom. The entire class was watching in silent horror. No one was sure what to say or do. Even Kaiba was alarmed by the teacher's actions.

They watched as the teacher turned around and strode back to the front of the classroom. Then they watched as Joey shoved his stuff into his backpack and lurched to his feet, still favoring his left hand. The teacher turned around to see Joey heading for the back classroom door.

"Mr. Wheeler, get back to your seat! You are not excused! Where are you going?!" she exclaimed.

"Out of here," was all Joey said before disappearing out the door.

Joey didn't appear for the rest of the day, in class or even lunch. Mrs. Williams called the office the moment he left to report him for leaving her classroom. After lunch and during her planning time, she was summoned to the office. The receptionist pointed her back to the principal.

"What happened with Mr. Wheeler?" the principal asked.

The teacher frowned. "Did security find him?"

Principal K shook her head.

"I didn't have to send them out. Mr. Wheeler came straight here. He has spoken with me about what happened. Now I'd like to hear your side," the principal said.

Mrs. Williams calmly straightened her back and told her side. Wheeler had been inattentive and had been caught wearing earbuds, most likely listening to music on a hidden music player. She caught him trying to adjust his earbud and struck him with a ruler and snapped at him.

"It _is_ allowed," the teacher said.

Principal K nodded.

"It is. There will be a meeting after school concerning Mr. Wheeler. I expect your attendance in the conference room."

By the end of the day, all of Joey's teachers were sitting in the conference room. The Math Teacher, the Personal Fitness coach and the Spanish Teacher, the few allies Joey had, sat on one side of the table while the remaining teachers sat on the other side. The principal strode in on time with a vanilla folder. She closed the door behind her and set the folder down on the table before addressing the group.

"Thank you all for coming. I'll try not to take up too much of your time. I'm sure everyone has heard of the incident that occurred in English class this morning," she hinted.

Everyone nodded. It may be a small school, but word got around fast. Students talk, teachers talk.

"I'm sure you have heard many versions of what happened. This meeting is to clear up the confusion. Let me first begin by stating that Joseph Wheeler is _off limits_. If you're experiencing a problem involving him, you are to send him to the office. _I_ will determine the _proper_ discipline," Principal K explained.

The confusion level in the room rose. Mrs. Williams flew to her feet.

"We talked about this before. I struck a student with just cause. He was…" Mrs. Williams started.

"- _Moving his hand to take out his_ _ **hearing aid**_ _to replace a dying battery,_ " Principal K finished.

The teachers' heads snapped up. They sat back in their seats in surprise. The English Teacher stared in shock for a few minutes. Then she shook herself out of it.

"Wheeler doesn't _have_ hearing aids!" she snapped.

Principal K opened the folder she had brought in and picked up a paper. She held it up to reveal a copy of Joey's audiogram. She passed out copies to all the teachers.

" _Mr._ Wheeler explained everything to me and I called his Audiologist to obtain a copy of his audiogram. The hearing loss has been confirmed and Wheeler was 'disciplined' for no reason. His assigned detentions have been dismissed. Any questions?"

There were a few questions voiced. The Personal Fitness Teacher was concerned about the hearing aids being used in his class. The principal assured him he would be wearing his hearing aids and all would be well. After there were no more questions, the principal dismissed everyone, but the English Teacher.

Principal K waited until everyone left to speak. She closed the door and turned back to face her teacher.

"You should know your _entire class_ came to my office to make formal statements. They've been trickling in all day. Based on their statements, Mr. Wheeler has been removed from your class," the principal said.

Mrs. Williams scoffed. "Mr. _Kaiba_ would never."

The principal chuckled.

"You would think that. _He_ was the _first_ to report to my office. Frankly, if he had _his_ way, you'd be out of a job. He's requested to transfer out of your room as well and I've granted his request," Principal K told her.

Mrs. Williams' face burned a deep red.

"Why the _Hell_ would Kaiba defend Wheeler? They _hate_ each other. The whole school knows it. Hell, I'd be surprised if the whole city didn't know it," the teacher snapped.

The principal shook her head.

"You'd be surprised. They haven't had a scuffle in over a year. They may not get along – that's certainly no secret – but they _do_ respect each other."

The teacher couldn't believe this. _Her_. A veteran teacher of 30 years teaching English with half those years in Japan. Wheeler was an outcast amongst the scholars of students. He was a loudmouth, inattentive slacker. She was doubly insulted when the principal demanded all of Wheeler's graded assignments and her gradebook.

"Why?" she demanded.

"I don't like what I've been hearing _and_ seeing in recent months. I want to ensure the grades Wheeler has are _accurate_ ," the principal explained.

"Are you accusing me of–"

"Nothing. I am covering all the bases. In fact, I'm checking in on all of his classes and grades. You're just the first class I'm starting with." Pause. "Is there a _reason_ you should be concerned?"

The teacher opened her mouth to protest, but it snapped shut a second later.

"When would you like to have it?"

"End of day Wednesday."

/…/

Joey frowned down at the boiling water. He had had to call off work in order to get x-rays on his hand. The principal had insisted he get one and bring a copy of the results to her. Not surprisingly, there were no broken or fractured bones. Now, at ten hours later, the bruise was darkening in color.

Joey dropped in the pasta and watched the water settle down. Hawk had just left from checking up on Joey. Before he had arrived, Joey had been talking to his father on the land line to reassure him he was okay. It took forever for Joey to convince his father not to march down to the school on Monday.

While his pasta cooked, Joey pulled out his kPhone. He pulled up the work app to check his schedule for the following week. Incidentally, the week before Thanksgiving.

Joey smiled as he clicked through the app. Hawk had been excited for the Thanksgiving invitation. Not only did he accept, he even offered to bring a dish. Joey saw the new schedule was up and pulled it up.

 **Monday, November 12**

 **Tuesday, November 13 5:00PM-10:00PM**

 **Wednesday, November 14**

 **Thursday, November 15 5:00PM-10:00PM**

 **Friday, November 16**

 **Saturday, November 17 9:00AM-7:00PM**

 **Sunday, November 18**

Joey nodded to himself as he tucked his phone away and removed the pasta from the stove. The schedule would work great for this week. He was working tomorrow, but not Sunday. He would need that time to study for his science exam and finish the assignments he had missed today.

He drained the pasta of the water and poured it into a big bowl. He dropped some butter in and mixed it around in the pasta, letting it melt all over the noodles. Joey pulled a plate down to place the pasta and some sauce down from his slow cooker. He walked over to the table and sat down to eat.

Joey pulled his laptop lose and maximized the instant messenger window he had open.

 **J:** I'm back.

He twirled some noodles on a fork and took in a big mouthful. His computer pinged, causing him to glance up.

 **S:** Yea! What did you make for dinner?

Joey reached out with his free hand to type a quick response.

 **J:** Spaghetti and sauce. What you and Ma eating?

 **S:** Sushi.

Joey made a face. He loved a lot of foods, but sushi was definitely not one of them.

 **J:** Better you than me.

 **S:** LOL Silly big brother

 **J:** You know it!

As Joey ate his dinner, he chatted back and forth with Serenity. He was saddened to hear his mother wouldn't be attending the Thanksgiving dinner, but pleased she was willing to send Serenity.

 **S:** I'm so happy the new job is working out! Can't wait to see your new hearing aids!

 **J:** Thanks! Me too! LOL They are really cool.

Joey went through two more plates before his stomach stopped growling. He said a good night to his sister with the promise to chat with her soon. He closed his laptop and took it back to his desk to plug it back in. He winced while trying to squeeze with his bruised hand.

He was extra careful not to use it too much. He was fortunate it was his non-dominant hand. By the time he was rolling into bed, Joey was beyond exhausted. He only hoped tomorrow would be a smooth day of work.

/…/

Mokuba stared. And blinked.

"She really did that?" Mokuba asked quietly.

Seto nodded. Mokuba had asked him about his day so he had told him about his day. That included the incident in second period English class.

"Is Joey okay?" Mokuba asked.

His hand itched to snatch his phone out, but they had a rule about phones out at the dinner table. Seto shrugged in response to his brother's question.

"I suppose he is. He didn't return to classes. The principal let slip she wanted an x-ray and excused him for the rest of the day," Seto said before scooping some of his vegetables into his mouth.

Mokuba pondered something as he cut his meat and ate a piece.

"Seto, I'm confused. I thought you hated Joey," Mokuba said.

Seto placed his silverware down to take a sip of his drink. He spoke as he set his drink down.

" _I_ thought the same, Mokuba. This last year has been quiet and has allowed me to realize I'm only irritated by how loud he can be. But I don't _hate_ him."

Mokuba talked without thinking of his words first.

"Seto, Joey's got a hearing loss! He's loud because he can't hear really well," Mokuba said.

Suddenly, Mokuba clapped his hand over his mouth and Seto swallowed hard on his drink. He coughed hard as he set the drink down and covered his mouth with his napkin. Seto coughed a few times before it cleared. With his eyes watering, Seto managed a weak, "What did you say?"

Mokuba groaned. He took his hand down and repeated himself.

"Joey has a hearing loss. I've been talking to him and he said he has a moderate loss in both his ears. He just got hearing aids so maybe he'll be quieter with them?" Mokuba predicted.

Seto raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. He took another sip to clear his throat.

"That would explain a lot. He has actually been extra quiet as of late. I attributed that to his new job. Frankly, the only other thing irritating me is the chair kicking."

"Huh?"

Seto explained about Joey kicking his desk in Math.

"That doesn't sound like Joey. Did he tell you _why_ he kicks your chair leg?" Mokuba questioned.

Seto nodded.

"He was cryptic about it. He said maybe I should ask myself why he's kicking my desk before I ask him to stop," Seto explained.

Mokuba hummed as he pushed his plate away. He put his elbows on the plate and tapped his chin.

"Does he do it every day?"

"No, but most days."

"Regular class or test days?"

"Both."

"Hmm. I don't know, Seto." Pause. Blink. "Do you know what Joey's new job is?"

Mokuba worried his brother did, even though it didn't seem like it. He held back from sighing in relief when his brother shook his head. He didn't want to give away that _he_ knew about Joey's job. He was luckily mentally prepared for Seto's next question.

"All I know is he works in an office somewhere in town. Did he share that information with you? What his new job is."

Mokuba shook his head. "Nope. Sorry, Seto. Can I be excused? Thanks!"

Seto watched as Mokuba practically flew out of the room. He knew what that meant. Mokuba _did_ know what his job was, but wasn't willing to share with him.

 _As long as he's not working for Devlin. Then again he wouldn't dare after that dog costume embarrassment,_ Seto thought.

 **END OF CHAPTER TWELVE**

 **Author's Note:**

 **Joey's Schedule**

Math

English

Science

Spanish

Technology class

Social Studies

Personal Fitness


	13. Chapter 13

**Shin:** Yep. I just envisioned this teacher being a real piece of work, but the principal being a very understanding person.

 **MadMechanic:** Thanks! I'm glad you like it. I'm trying to write the fic as best I can with Joey's personality.

 **Author's Note: I hope this chapter doesn't seem rushed. If it does, I can do some re-writes and clean it up. It sounds good to me, but I'm coming over a long two weeks that just ended with me visiting best friends and their new preemie infant.**

 **CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

 _RAP. RAP. RAP._

"Come on in, Wheels!"

The doorknob turned and the door opened to reveal a well-dressed Joey. He quietly closed the door behind him before following the sweet smells of breakfast. The apartment was similar to his, but definitely had Hawk's unique touches. The kitchen was bigger than his with a kitchen island where Hawk had a wide assortment of foods set out.

"Morning, Hawk!" Joey greeted cheerfully.

Hawk grinned as he finished putting some pancakes on a plate.

"Hope you're hungry, Wheels. I made a mighty big breakfast," Hawk said while pulling a couple of plates down from a cabinet.

Joey chuckled.

"I'm starving, man. Thanks for the invite and the ride to work," Joey said.

Hawk handed him a plate before piling food onto his plate.

"It's my pleasure, especially after how that 'teacher' treated you yesterday. Besides, in my family, my siblings and I were taught to share and share alike when it came to food," Hawk explained.

He sat down at the dining room table. Joey grabbed a little bit of everything and joined him. Hawk poured himself and Joey some orange juice.

"If you don't mind me asking, how many siblings ya got?" Joey said.

"I'm the oldest of five. All _girls_ too. I love my sisters, but Mom and Dad coulda stopped at two of 'em," Hawk said, cutting up his pancakes.

Joey laughed.

"You poor man."

Hawk snorted. "You don't know the half of it. With Mom in the house, that made _five_ women. Everything they say about women living together… _all true._ "

Joey pursed his lips and let out a low whistle.

"I feel for ya, Hawk."

Hawk chuckled. "Thanks. My sisters are great. Everyone lives all over the world."

Joey ate his breakfast while listening to Hawk talk about his family. It sounded like the man, despite living alone, was quite the family man. He was glad he had invited the older male to his Thanksgiving meal. Joey knew the man seemed young but was actually thirty-six.

It turns out his sisters were 33, 28, and 25. The twenty-eight year olds were twins, which apparently ran in Hawk's family. The oldest of the sisters lived in the States near their parents, working as a veterinarian. The twins lived in London and the youngest lived in France.

"What do your other sisters do?" Joey asked.

"Hannah and Karina work in entertainment. I can't keep straight what all they do. Melody works as a model and nutritionist," Hawk answered.

"How does that work?" Joey gasped.

Hawk shook his head. "Weird, I know. Mel works part-time as a model and full-time as a nutritionist. Some of her clients are the models she works with."

They talked about their families as they ate. For the very little left off, they agreed it was a nice idea to pack it up and finish for lunch later. Hawk filled up some Tupperware containers and let Joey borrow a lunch box. Hawk piled the dishes in the sink to be cleaned later. Joey followed him out the door and down to the garage.

"You got a license?" Hawk asked.

Joey nodded. "Yea. 'm a good driver, too."

Hawk nodded. "Not surprised. Maybe I'll let you borrow my bike sometime."

The "bike" was a sleek blue, silver, and white crotch rocket. It had some silver flame designs along the side.

" _That_ is a sweet bike, man," Joey commented.

Hawk winked as he unlocked his car.

"Gotta have my baby. Come on. We gotta get to work."

In no time at all, they reached Kaiba Corp. After parking in the garage facility, they rode in the elevator to their floor. Joey went to his cubicle space to check email and sort papers from his last work day. When the clock closed in on ten, he wandered to the conference room where the team was coming together. Hawk was the last one to come in.

"Good news. The modified Rubik's Cube has gone into advertisement and hits the stores in two weeks. The other projects have passed the first stage of testing."

Everyone politely clapped.

"Before I get started with our meeting, I would like everyone to come up with at least two new project ideas at next week's meeting. Sound good?" Hawk asked.

Nods went around the room. Joey was grateful the regular team meetings didn't take long. They reviewed the expense account with their latest projects and their remaining budget for the rest of the fiscal year. Since Joey was new to the team, they reviewed all the paperwork and process of a new project from start to finish.

After the meeting, everyone split in different ways. Joey continued sorting through old paperwork and filing. He was tasked with helping out the team members in any way he could. After sorting the papers and filing away in cabinets in Hawk's office, Joey went to lunch with Hawk. They heated their food in the microwave in the conference room before eating in Hawk's office.

They discussed a variety of topics. They talked about school (for Joey), video games, motorcycles, and just about any topic that came to mind. Then they hit on a topic no one had brought up around Joey.

"What do you want to do after you graduate?" Hawk asked.

Joey looked up from his lunch in surprise.

"Umm…I…I dunno. No one's ever really asked me about that," Joey said.

Hawk frowned. "Not even your friends? Or your father?"

Joey shook his head.

"Dad's been fighting his demons and his drinking a long time. I've been helping him for as long as I remember. And my friends know I'm not too strong in school," Joey answered, truthfully.

Hawk made an hmm sound.

"I'll be the judge of that. Do you know your login information to your school account?" Nod. "Sign in on my computer."

With a heavy sigh, Joey stood up and crossed the room. He woke up Hawk's computer, pulled up the school website, and signed in to his student account. Hawk walked over and leaning over Joey's shoulder clicked through a few buttons. When they reached a new page, Joey's eyebrows shot up and Hawk chuckled.

"Your grades look fine to me. Except for maybe those English and Social Studies grades. Even then, they're not too bad," Hawk commented.

Joey nodded in agreement as he stared in surprise.

 **CURRENT GRADES**

 **Math…A**

 **English…C**

 **Science…B**

 **Spanish…B**

 **Technology…A**

 **Social Studies…C**

 **Personal Fitness…A**

The last time he had checked his grades, his English grade had been an F and Social Studies a D. He had had borderline C's in Science and Spanish before the recent exams.

 _I guess I did better on them tests than I thought,_ Joey thought.

Hawk clapped Joey on a shoulder.

"Them hearing aids are doing a world of good. With grades like that…you can do _anything._ Let's finish up lunch and I'll tell ya what I mean."

/…/

[Thanksgiving]

The apartment was bustling with activity and people. Joey was in the kitchen working hard on dinner with the help of his sister and father. Hawk and Mr. Hirano were off in a corner playing a game of chess. Yugi, Yami, and Solomon were discussing current events while soft music played in the background.

Joey had invited Mokuba, but the boy was out of the country for a long week with his brother. They wouldn't touch down in town for another hour. Mokuba had promised to visit his apartment soon, though. Truthfully, Joey hoped tonight would inspire him for Saturday's meeting with the team.

"Joey, is there anything we can do to help?" Yugi asked, popping his head in the kitchen.

Joey chuckled as he helped his sister pull out the turkey.

"We're almost done, Yug. If ya wanna set the table, yer welcome to it. Dishes are up there and silverware's in that drawer," Joey instructed.

With the help of Yami, Yugi set up the table for dinner. Joey announced dinner was ready and everyone filed into the kitchen to fill their plates. After everyone sat down, Joey had a few words to say.

"I want to thank everyone for coming to our Thanksgiving dinner. Muh dad and I know not everyone celebrates it, but we appreciate having our friends and loved ones here. We give thanks for having ya in our lives and for the difference you've made to help us be the best people we can be. Thank you and dig in," Joey said.

A quiet cheer of "Thank you" and "Here, here" went around the table. Everyone was drawn into conversations at the table. Yugi, Yami, and Joey discussed dueling, Hawk talked about chess strategies with Mr. Hirano and Solomon, Serenity told her father about school. Sometime during the conversation, the three older men down at the other end of the table started speaking in different languages.

Joey was happy the trio knew a multitude of languages, but he wished he could understand them. He started adjusting the volume on his hearing aids when all the sudden a thought hit him. His gaze shot back to his boss who was speaking fluent French with Solomon.

 _What if we made like an earpiece or something that could translate foreign language?! Could that be possible? Yea. Yea! I think it could!_ _ **That's**_ _going to be one of my project ideas,_ Joey thought.

Later, after everyone had left and leftovers were put away, Joey was sketching out his idea and writing small notes. He was really grateful for his friends and family friends. While thinking about his new project idea, he had thought up the second idea. It was a scanner built into a pen that translated written language into the reader's fluent language.

They were always reading novels that had Latin or another language mixed in. He was always having to stop and look up the word, which threw him off his reading stride. After tucking his notes away, he spent the remainder of the evening finishing up his school work for the next day.

/…/

Joey shook his head as Kaiba set his stuff down on the desk beside Joey. He walked back up to the front to talk quietly with the teacher. Joey hadn't been too surprised when Kaiba had followed him to his new English class.

Miss Swann was a younger, newer teacher to Japan. She was less than a year out of college. She had more patience than most teachers in the entire school. She took the extra time to explain everything and provided specific feedback on papers. Once a week, they had free reading hour. He was currently reading a book on sharks.

Joey was about to raise his bruised hand to flip the page when he felt someone pick it up. He paused to consider how to react. It was too rough to be a woman's hand. He couldn't imagine anyone daring to touch him except…

Joey lowered his book to glance just over it. Sure enough, his suspicions were correct. Kaiba had picked up his hand and was now examining it. He was careful not to push too hard around or on the bruise. After a few seconds of awkwardly wondering what the Hell was processing through Kaiba's head, the other male finally placed the hand back down. He picked up his own book and returned to his reading.

 _Just when I think I got him figured, he throws something new at my face. I wonder if I ever will fully understand Kaiba,_ Joey thought before turning his page and returning to his own reading.

He startled when his hand came back down and touched something smooth. Joey dropped his book to find a small candy bar sitting on his desk. His gaze shot beside him, but Kaiba was buried in his own book. Glancing up at the teacher who was busy with a student, Joey picked up the chocolate bar. When he flipped it over, he found a small sticky note attached.

 _Yoku naru, Joey!_ [1]

 _~Mokuba_

A small smile lifted with Joey's spirits as he tucked the bar away to snack on later. He missed Kaiba sneaking a quick glance over his own book. Joey returned to his book, but found his thoughts wandering from the migration pattern of the Great White. He thought about what him and Hawk had talked about.

" _You can do anything you want, Joey. Grades alone don't tell your future. As a dual citizen, there are other options your classmates may not consider."_

Since it was Joey's junior year of high school, Hawk had recommended Joey try and take the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT. Hawk knew of a place where dual citizens or Americans who's families were deployed (like his had been) could sign up and take the test. He had even offered to pay for the test for Joey to take.

" _Think about it. I think the next test date is early December, but there are two or three more tests given after the new year."_

Thinking about the new year fast approaching made Joey sigh. His father was in the process of moving right now. He had offered to miss school for the day and accompany him, but his father had refused.

" _You've done your job, son. Now it's time for me to do mine." Smile. "I'll call you in a few days. After I get settled, 'kay?"_

Having already signed and processed the papers to make himself emancipated, Joey couldn't feel any more alone. Hearing another sigh, Seto dropped his book to find Joey curling his head into his arms as he laid his head down. He wasn't the only one who noticed. Mrs. Swann walked up and lowered her head near Joey's. Naturally, he couldn't help, but overhear.

" _Is everything okay? Do you need to go to the clinic?_ "

" _I don't need the clinic. 'm jus' tired, 's all."_

" _Okay. Go ahead and rest your head. No will bother you."_

Seto watched the teacher move on before looking back at Joey. The younger male was withdrawn into himself, tucking his body inward to shield himself from the outside world. Seto stared with a mildly puzzled look. The blonde had been just fine a second ago.

 _He must have gotten into his head about something,_ Seto thought.

He found a weird desire building up in him to want to offer words of comfort. He brought his book back up with the intention to let the feeling pass. It wasn't until lunch that Seto found himself looking out across the cafeteria for the familiar mop of blonde hair. He was able to spot the Friendship Pack easily, but Wheeler was absent.

It took a few minutes until he was able to locate the missing teen. He was curled up on the backside of a tree, hidden out of sight of most people. Joey's lunch sat uneaten on the other side of him. With his back flat against the tree, Joey had his head curled down to his chest, but wasn't asleep. However, Joey still startled when he felt someone sit down beside him. He startled more when he saw _who_ had sat down.

"Don't get any ideas, Wheeler. The cafeteria is too loud and there's no seating at the tables out here," Seto said, opening his bento box on his lap while looking over a contract in his other hand.

Kaiba didn't realize, but Joey had a decent view of the outside seating area from his side of the tree. He spotted more than one empty table. He said nothing as he pulled his own lunch close and started eating. It was the strangest lunch he had ever had.

And the calmest.

[1] – Google Translate: English to Japanese: Get better

 **END OF CHAPTER THIRTEEN**


	14. Chapter 14

**Magicjewel:** I had to look back and see the last time you reviewed. It's been three extra chapters added. I could see why the fangirl would be screaming. Lots to read. Thank you on the compliments. I try to develop characters at a steady pace and it seems to be working on this story.

 **Kittona:** Thanks! I'm glad it seems super cute.

 **Author's Note: As the summer comes to an end and I'll be back on the clock full-time, I don't know how soon updates will come in. My muses have been good to me, but I've kept them well-fed.**

 **CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

"All right. Let's start with project ideas. How about we start with you, Wheels?"

Joey smiled. He stood up and walked to the head of the table. He pulled out his sketchbook, opened it, and placed it under the projecting screen. The others looked up at the projected image on the wall. The sketch was of a Bluetooth/hearing aid like device.

"My first idea is a translator device. You wear the device with the setting for your fluent language. When it hears words in another language, it translates them into the person's ear in their own language. I thought maybe we could pair it with an app or something so the person could write their answer down in their language, but it comes out of the phone in the other language," Joey explained.

Everyone nodded their heads. Reiko was the first to speak up.

"The idea shows promise," she said.

Hawk nodded. "I agree."

Sakura clapped her hands excitedly.

"I could whip up the app in no time and have a trial ready before Christmas," Sakura added.

Hawk clapped his hands together once.

"It sounds like a plan. Jin and Jo, do some research on languages and obtain language samples. Wheels, you'll be working directly with Reiko on designing the device. The final design will need my sign off before I take it to Mr. Kaiba for the final signature. Sakura, move ahead with working on the phone application."

Hawk recorded the notes and responsibilities assigned before having Joey finish with his second project idea. It wasn't as strong as the first, but it had promise. After Joey finished, Sakura went over her project ideas and the meeting concluded with a drawing for…

"Secret Santa? You guys do that kind of thing?" Joey asked.

Sakura's curls bounced with her head nodding.

"Oh yea! The whole department does it. You know that survey you filled out last week? The one in the email?" Nod. "The initials, the gender, a sticker for the gift, and some of the info on what the person likes goes on a paper which goes in an envelope which goes in the bag."

Joey watched each member pull a plain envelope out of a bag Hawk passed around. When it was Joey's turn, he reached in and pulled an envelope out from the deep collection. He handed the bag back to Hawk who passed it off to another Department Head.

Lunch time came and everyone headed to the cafeteria for a late lunch except Hawk. He brought his lunch, but asked Joey to bring him back a brownie. The older male was just sitting down at his computer with his lunch on the side when the CEO came in.

"Good afternoon, Sir. What can I do for you?" Hawk asked.

"I'm about to leave for the conference. I wanted to get your final numbers written in before I present this afternoon," Seto answered, pulling a silver and blue flash drive out.

Hawk accepted it and plugged it in. He pulled up the PowerPoint presentation and slid through the slides to his Department's page. Hawk opened another document to check his numbers before inputting them. While doing so, Hawk handed his notebook to Seto.

"Our project ideas from today's meeting," Hawk prompted.

Seto made a hmm sound as he accepted the notebook. He looked over the notes while Hawk typed away on the computer. When Hawk finished, he saved the document and carefully ejected the flash drive. He handed it back to Seto. The CEO placed it down on the counter he'd be leaning on and stepped forward to hand Hawk back his notebook.

"The ideas sound promising. I look forward to reviewing your reports," Seto said.

He shared a few more words with Hawk before departing. A little later, Joey came in with brownie in hand.

"Here ya go, Hawk," Joey said.

Hawk accepted it with a big smile. He scooted back from his desk as he unwrapped it in his lap.

"Thanks. Have a good lunch?" Joey asked.

Hawk nodded. "Yes. I just finished eating. Glad I sent you to lunch. You missed Kaiba coming by for a visit."

Joey cringed as he stepped to the side of Hawk's desk. He noticed something that was out of place. He picked it up and held it up as he turned back to Hawk.

"Kaiba leave this behind?"

Hawk glanced up from his brownie to find Joey holding the blue and silver flash drive.

" _ **Shit!**_ "

Joey startled as Hawk leapt to his feet. He slammed the brownie down and snatched up his phone. He quickly punched in a few numbers before pressing it hard to his ear.

"What? _What?_ " Joey gasped.

He was still in shock that his supervisor had just cursed. Hawk held his hand up and cursed again.

"Damn voicemail," Hawk said.

He clicked the end call and dialed another number.

"Talk to me, Hawk!" Joey exclaimed.

Hawk's finger jabbed at the flash drive still clutched in Joey's hand.

"That contains the PowerPoint presentation Kaiba is showing at tech conference on the other side of town and GAH!" Hawk slammed the receiver down. "I _can't_ reach Roland or Kaiba. They must be in a dead zone."

Joey suddenly realized the severity of what he was holding. The Technology Conference, being held clear on the other side of town, was the biggest event of the year. It involved some of the biggest names in technology around the world. This year, Kaiba was the Keynote Speaker.

 _Without this thing, Kaiba'll be humiliated beyond all belief,_ Joey thought.

"Hawk, let me borrow your bike," Joey snapped.

Hawk, still trying the phone, fished into his pocket for his keys and tossed them to Joey.

"Where you going?" Hawk asked as Joey headed for the door.

"The conference to give Kaiba this!" Joey threw over his shoulder.

Gasping, Hawk changed gears and called down to the security office.

"This is Hawkins with R&D. Open the garage doors. We have an emergency delivery on our hands. _Open it now!_ "

Joey stowed the flash drive away in his upper jean jacket pocket which he had snatched from his cubicle. He dashed down the stairs, careful not to slip on them on his way down. He hit the garage running. Luckily, it was easy to spot Hawk's motorcycle. Joey snatched up the helmet and pulled it over his head, securing it in place as he climbed on the bike.

He started it up, backed up carefully and took off. The garage doors were wide open as he tore out of there. The conference was held in a building an hour away from Kaiba Corp. Kaiba had at least ten to fifteen minutes on him. Traffic was a nightmare at this hour, but Joey knew these streets like the back of his hand.

 _If I do this right, I can get there just after he arrives,_ Joey thought.

It had been a while since he had driven Tristan's bike and Hawk's was newer, more sensitive, but he was up to the task. He zipped carefully around other cars, gunning the gas to beat out yellow lights. He had more than one car honk at him, but he ignored them.

When he spotted a red light ahead, he jerked down a side alley. Luckily, with the small motorcycle, Joey tore down the narrow alleyway easily. The motorcycle rumbled low in his ears as he worked his best to weave across town while trying not to get pulled over for speeding. Throughout the entire town, he only got caught by two red lights.

The whole time there all he could think of was the reputation of the corporation and how it would look if Kaiba was humiliated over a simple mistake.

 _I'm not gonna let Kaiba go down that way,_ Joey thought.

He managed to reach the conference building in forty minutes. He spotted Roland stepping out of a black SUV nearby. He drove over, flashing his badge before Roland could get on the defensive. Roland opened the back door and Seto stepped outside. Without lifting his visor and tucking his badge out of sight, Joey unbuttoned his jean jacket pocket and pulled out the flash drive.

He held it out to Seto. Flashing him a small confused look, The CEO patted his pockets before reaching out and taking it. He handed it to Roland who stored it safely away in a pocket.

"Thank you, Hawkins," Seto said.

Joey nodded. He pulled the bike back, allowing the two of them to pass. He took his time getting back to work. Hawkins was waiting for him in his cubicle. Joey tossed his keys back to him.

"That is a _sweet_ bike," Joey said.

Hawk raised an eyebrow.

"I take it you reached Kaiba in time?" Hawk hinted.

Joey nodded as he ran a hand through his hair. It was sweaty and unkempt. He really needed a shower.

"Yea. I got there just as he was getting outta da car. Ya mind if I go home? I think my shift ended a bit ago," Joey said.

Hawk chuckled as he pushed off Joey's desk and clapped his hands on Joey's shoulders.

"Your shift ended _more_ than a bit ago. In fact, I'm giving you the day off tomorrow. _With_ pay," Hawk told him.

Joey frowned at him.

"Can you do that?" Joey asked.

Hawk winked. " 'Course I can. Now get to gettin', Wheels."

Joey scooped up his unopened Secret Santa envelope and bid Hawk a farewell.

The next day, in the late afternoon, Hawk received another visit from Seto. The man was back from the conference and thanked him for returning his flash drive.

"It wasn't me, Sir. It was our newest team member, our intern Wheels," Hawk explained.

Seto nodded.

"Tell him he has a job here as long as he wants. Send him up when you can. I wish to thank the person I haven't officially met yet," Seto said, turning back towards the open doorway.

Hawk cursed under his breath. He had been afraid of that.

"Sir, there's something you should know about our intern," Hawk said, flying to his feet.

Seto stopped and turned with a raised eyebrow.

"To start with, he's not working today. I gave him the day off. Also, you _have_ met the intern before," Hawk said.

Seto smirked.

"Would I have met him at school?" Seto asked.

Hawk shrugged. "I'm not sure where you first met him, Sir. But you would know him from school."

Seto nodded. Hawk rounded his desk as Seto spoke.

"I thought as much. I've been suspecting for some time. Yesterday just confirmed it. I noticed the intern had a fading bruise on the back of his hand. His _left_ hand," Seto explained.

"Joey Wheeler is family, Sir. I only wanted him treated fairly like any other employee of Kaiba Corp," Hawk said.

"You've only known him a short time," Seto commented.

Hawk crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against his desk.

"As I said, Sir, _I_ see him as part of the team, the _family_. I assure you should any actions be taken again him for past actions committed outside this company, my letter of resignation will be on your desk before the ink can dry."

Seto stared transfixed at his Department Head. He had never seen Hawkins stand up for someone he knew for so little time. He imagined the fact they both had American blood in their veins probably gave them a sort of kinship. However, he could see it in Hawk's eyes. As far as he was concerned, Wheeler was family which meant he came under Hawk's wing.

 _If Hawkins quits, the others on his team are sure to follow,_ Seto thought.

He hadn't mentioned it to Hawkins, but yesterday afternoon he had received an interesting video. It was from the daycare. The teacher had shared with him a video of their Storyman reading to the kids. Seto had experienced different emotions as realizing his school rival was his newest Kaiba Corp employee.

Shock.

Annoyance.

Curiosity.

He had watched the entire video. He smiled at watching the children read and dance with Wheeler. It was easy to see the blonde enjoyed being around kids. That evidence combined with seeing the motorist's bruised hand had him 99.99% convinced Hawk's new intern was Wheeler.

Hawk cleared his voice. Seto blinked. He could tell the man was waiting for an answer and he had been lost in his thoughts. He smiled.

"Relax, Hawk. Wheeler will be treated just like any other employee. I don't appreciate you _and_ Nakamura keeping me in the dark, but I understand your hesitancy to divulge that information," Seto said.

Hawk returned the smile. The tension left his body. He was relieved, both for himself and Wheeler. Seto nodding in understanding.

"Please pass on the message to Wheeler. I meant what I said. He _has_ a job here for as long as he wants," Seto told him.

Hawk nodded.

"I will, Sir. Thank you."

/…/

[Meanwhile, in downtown…]

Joey groaned. Most of the day was gone and he hadn't seen anything he liked for his Secret Santa person. He had even enlisted the help of Yugi, who trudged along beside him. They were currently cruising the mall in search of inspiration.

"You haven't seen anything you like, Joey. What's this guy like again?" Yugi asked.

Joey reached into his back pocket for a folded paper. He struggled at first, but then got it unfolded all the way. The initials at the top read as S.K. with a (M) and the sticker of a blue dragon with the S.K. initials.

"He likes dragons…reading…cookin'…and video games. You know, this guy almost sounds like me," Joey said, folding the paper and tucking it back in his pocket.

Yugi chuckled.

"It sounds like you and the guy could get along pretty well. Maybe you two could have lunch some time?" Yugi suggested.

Joey nodded. "Maybe. That would be something, huh? Too bad I only know his initials."

"So are you going to be visiting your dad soon?" Yugi asked.

Joey lit up at the mention of his father.

"I leave Friday after school. I'll just be gone for the weekend. Hawk's letting me borrow his car. Got my old man a real neat gift." Smile. "I know he'll love it."

Yugi nodded.

"How's the bruise, Joey?"

The question caused Joey's hand to clench and relax. He slowed behind as Yugi kept moving forward. A sudden thought came to him.

 _Did I hand that flash drive over to Kaiba with_ _ **this**_ _hand or my other hand,_ Joey thought.

He tried to remember, but he just couldn't. Joey hoped it had been his unbruised hand. He knew how observant Kaiba could be.

 **END OF CHAPTER FOURTEEN**


	15. Chapter 15

**Talyak:** Yes, Kaiba did something right. Yes, it could be the same old Joey we know and love.

 **Kittona:** Why, thank you. You'll get an answer to your principal-Joey question in the next chapter.

 **Magicjewel:** Oh yes, what Joey doesn't know. Ha Ha Well we all know how Joey can be. Yugi and Yami might suspect. You never know with them.

 **Kiss death666:** Thank you, thank you! You don't have to wait anymore.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: I want to say thank you to all my readers and reviewers. I was reflecting earlier on when I first started fan fic writing. My writing was ehh, my characters (mostly) Mary Sue material, and my muses left me constantly (and they still do). I started with Ronin Warriors and from there, moved to Harry Potter. Then eventually made my way to Yu-Gi-Oh and Supernatural. I appreciate that you enjoy reading my fic and I hope you continue, just as I hope my chapters continue to get longer.**

 **CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

His day started as normal. His alarm sounded off promptly at 4:00AM. He woke up, turned it off, and climbed out of bed. He ran on the treadmill for half an hour before showering and dressing for the day.

He pulled up his schedule for the day on his phone as he wandered down the hall and the staircase. He had a light Monday scheduled for after school. He only had one meeting, which meant he would have time to go shopping for his Secret Santa before making it home for dinner.

"Good morning, Big Brother!"

Seto smiled as he tucked his phone away. Mokuba stood over a frying pan with a Chef's hat on. The brunette opened the fridge to retrieve a bottle of water before seating himself at the kitchen island.

"What is the Chef preparing today?" Seto asked, flashing him a grin.

"Scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee," Mokuba said, pointing at the coffee pot.

Seto chuckled.

"I'll have a cup in a moment. Sleep well?" Seto asked.

"Yep. I dreamt I was a clown in the circus. I was juggling flaming torches!"

Seto listened as Mokuba prattled on about his dreams. He rarely had dreams himself, but he did enjoy hearing his brother talk about his. As his brother finished up on his dreams and breakfast, Seto fetched himself a cup of coffee. He poured some orange juice for his brother while he was up. They opted for eating at the island.

"Will you be home tonight for dinner?" Mokuba asked.

Seto caught the hopeful glint in his brother's eyes. It spiked in brightness when he nodded.

"What is the Chef supposed to cook tonight?" Seto asked.

Mokuba shrugged. "It's Mystery Monday. It's a mystery!"

Seto shook his head while reaching out to pat Mokuba on the back. They had their traditional meal days. Mondays were Mokuba Monday and Mystery Monday. Mokuba cooked breakfast every Monday and the cook made a surprise mystery meal for dinner.

They ate up breakfast and soon departed for school. Roland dropped Seto off first. Mokuba gave him a hug and wished him a great day before he climbed out. Seto walked into school, ignoring the other students as he weaved through the students to his first class. When he entered the classroom, Yugi was at the front speaking with the classroom teacher. Yami stood nearby, but hanging back from his lover.

"-to stay. But he'll be back tomorrow," Yugi said.

The teacher smiled. "It's okay, Mr. Muto. I'll give you the work he'll miss today."

Yugi nodded as Seto passed behind them.

"Thank you, Mam!"

Seto rolled his eyes as he walked back to his seat and sat down. Judging by the hour on the clock, it was obvious Muto was talking about Wheeler. After talking to Mokuba about Wheeler, he now knew the young man's living situation and his father's current state. With what little overheard from Muto, Seto surmised that Wheeler wasn't able to get back from visiting his father.

Class, for lack of better phrasing, did not run smoothly. As sly as he usually was with slipping his phone out during class, his teacher caught him four times. He finally decided to follow instructions and keep his phone in his pocket. He just didn't understand it. Up until this day, he had been able to hide it from her easily.

 _At least Wheeler isn't here kicking my chair leg,_ Seto thought.

Math class soon ended and he couldn't be happier. He saw the teacher gesture for him to stay behind. He slowly packed his stuff, waiting for his classmates to file out before walking up to the front of the room.

"I know you are surprised, Mr. Kaiba, that I have managed to catch you with your phone out today. Multiple times, I might add," Miss Suzuki said.

Seto glared. Miss Suzuki grinned as she finished wiping the board down. She grabbed a rag off her desk to wipe her hands.

"Mr. Wheeler hasn't told you _why_ he kicks the back of your desk, has he? Despite you _telling_ him to stop," the Math Teacher questioned.

Seto raised an eyebrow. "Your point?"

Miss Suzuki shook her head at him as she sat down at her desk.

"Mr. Wheeler is a very observant young man. He sits where he can see the entire board, the class, everything. Including being able to see the classmate in front of him when he's sneaking out his phone and the teacher fast approaching where _she_ could see too. If it weren't for Mr. Wheeler warning said classmate, the teacher might catch the other student more often. Enjoy your next class, Mr. Kaiba."

Seto turned and walked out of the room in a sort of trance. He walked on autopilot to class while trying to process what the teacher had just said.

" _Maybe you should ask yerself_ _ **why**_ _I'm kicking your desk before you ask me to stop."_

This whole time…this whole time, Wheeler had been like a guard dog. He had been watching out for Seto without being asked or paid. They weren't friends. Yet the blonde had treated him as such by shielding him from discipline while he tried to balance running his business and classwork.

 _Just when I think I_ _ **finally**_ _have him figured out…Wheeler goes and changes up the game again,_ Seto thought, shaking his head.

He tried not to let it bother him. Despite focusing on his studies, he found himself thinking about Wheeler's odd behavior in between break times. Lunch was particularly hard. While eating outside under a tree, he re-read a contract on his tablet five times before giving up.

Wheeler was an enigma. He was beginning to think he didn't know the real Wheeler. The Wheeler he thought he knew was just a front, a shield, a mask of sorts. He couldn't understand how he managed to misjudge someone by so much.

Somehow, Seto managed to get through the school day. He may have walked a little quicker down the hall when the dismissal bell rang. Roland took him straight to work before rounding back to pick up Mokuba to take him home. Seto put Wheeler out of his mind as he checked on a few things around the office.

After sending off a quick email, he sat down in his monthly meeting with his Department Heads. Everyone went over how things were going and any issues they had. Everything ran smoothly. Seto tried not to stir his thoughts back to Wheeler while Hawk was giving his reports. However, it didn't stop him from inquiring at the end of the meeting.

"Wheels? Oh, he's fine, Sir. His father had a rough night and Wheels insisted he stay to ensure he was okay. He was leaving for Domino before I came in to our meeting," Hawk said.

Mokuba hadn't been able to share much about Joey's father, except that his health was the reason behind the move.

"Is his father ill?" Seto asked.

Hawk nodded with a grim look on his face.

"Yes, Sir. I don't know much. You'd have to ask him yourself, if you want to know more," Hawk answered.

Seto waved him off. However, Seto smirked with a small chuckle as he remembered something.

"I neglected to ask before but…Wheels?"

Hawk chuckled.

"You'd think it's my doing, huh?" Chuckle. "Wheels actually got the nickname from Muscles. Two of 'em hit it off right. You know how word gets around here. Wheeler went from Storyman to Wheels."

Seto nodded. Muscles was aptly nicknamed and delighted in giving new employees nicknames to help him remember their names. Naturally, he would give Wheeler the nickname Wheels probably because it was close to his name. Seto dismissed him the wave of his hand.

He finished checking some emails and signing some contracts before meeting Roland downstairs. He had Roland drop him off at the mall. He didn't bother unfolding his Secret Santa paper. It wasn't a very well known fact that Seto had a photographic memory. He knew had his Secret Santa's initials, gender, and interests seared into his brain.

The young CEO wandered through a few stores, but didn't see what he could deem as the right gift. Seto pulled out his phone to check the time. He let out a low growl as he stuffed it back into his jacket pocket. Roland was due to pick him up in fifteen minutes so he could still make it for dinner with his brother.

He decided to try one more shop. He stepped into a store that had odds and ends everywhere. It looked like one of the shops one would find down Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter world. Seto scoffed. He had been forced to read the whole series when his brother had become immersed in the books. The younger male had wanted to be able to discuss them at home with him.

"Can I help you, Sir?"

Seto glanced to his right to find an elderly woman strolling over to him. She walked with an old, dark wooded cane and a pair of dark sunglasses perched on her nose. As much as he wanted to wave her away, Seto knew better than to be impolite to the elderly. Or blind.

"Perhaps. I'm looking for a Christmas gift," Seto said.

She let out a small snicker.

"A quest many find themselves on this time of the year," she replied.

Seto nodded. "It's for a co-worker. My company does a Secret Santa exchange. I'm not exempt."

The woman nodded in understanding as she turned and walked slowly to the shelves. Seto followed quietly behind her.

"A very good man to be sharing the coming holidays with his workers. A man I am sure treats his people well. A gift for a worker that makes them feel appreciated," she riddled.

Seto rolled his eyes. Figures he always got the batty old people to talk to him.

"Roll your eyes all you want, young man. They may get stuck that way, you know?"

Seto frowned. Now he was beginning to regret stepping foot in here and yet he found himself following the woman to a glass case. She stepped behind the counter and reached on a bottom shelf for something. She placed it down on the counter in front of her.

"Would this be to your liking?"

Seto's eyes focused on the item and he knew…

"It's perfect. How much?"

The woman quoted him a price he was sure was well under its worth. She carefully wrapped it and placed it in a box while he took out his money. He slid bigger bills towards her so she wouldn't know the difference. He bid her goodbye and started leaving with the box. He stopped when she let out a high horse whistle.

"Don't forget your change, young man!"

Seto shook his head with a small snort.

"Consider it a donation!" he called over his shoulder.

"I may be old and blind, but I will chase you down with every last cent! Don't think I won't!"

Rolling his eyes, Seto turned back around.

/…/

"It's a really nice box, Seto."

The box was a small-medium build with light and dark green stripes with a matching ribbon tied around it. It sat at the end of the table while Seto and Mokuba sat eating at the opposite end.

"What's in it?" Mokuba asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Seto pointed his fork at him with a piece of pot pie on the end.

" _Not_ for you. That is my Secret Santa gift," Seto told him.

Mokuba grinned.

"I'm sure Hawk will like it," he commented, stuffing a piece of potato in his mouth.

Seto's eyebrows shot up.

"What makes you think I drew Hawk as my Secret Santa?" Seto asked.

"It's wrapped in Hawk's favorite color."

"Merely a coincidence."

Smirk. "Whatever you say, Big Brother."

After dinner and stashing away his gift, Seto checked over Mokuba's schoolwork. They spent some time playing video games together before Seto shooed the other off to bed. Instead of retiring to bed himself, Seto wandered downstairs to the old game room. In the center sat a billiards table.

He racked up the balls one to nine and chalked a cue. He placed the cue ball down, lined it up and broke the grouping of balls. None of them went in, but the balls scattered all around the table. Seto walked around the table to the cue ball to where he had a line on the number one ball and a pocket.

He leaned down, lined the angle up and gently hit the cue ball. As he had planned, the first ball went in a pocket and the cue ball rolled to where the number two was in perfect lining. He played a few rounds of nine ball, working to calm his mind down from the day. When exhaustion started setting in, Seto finished his current game of nine ball and wandered upstairs.

He changed into his pajamas before washing his face and brushing his teeth. He relieved himself and washed his hands before climbing into bed. He set the alarm on his bedside table before nestling down under the covers.

He started counting in his head.

 _1…2…3…4…5…6…_

He was out like a light before he could reach 50.

 **END OF CHAPTER FIFTEEN**


	16. Chapter 16

**Kittona:** I'm enjoying writing this as much as y'all are enjoying reading it.

 **Magicjewel:** Could still be Hawk. Seto just denied. After all, Mokuba didn't seem to believe him when he said it was a coincidence.

 **Author's Note: Here's the new update, y'all! School year is starting so updates may be coming slower, but not for a while yet…unless the Muses run out on me again. *grabs a huge net* Excuse me for a moment.**

 **CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

Joey was at school early the next day, waiting in the office for the Principal. She came in a few minutes later, but he waited until she called him in. She closed the door behind him and waited until she was facing him from the other side of her desk to speak.

"How's your father?" she asked.

He smiled.

"He's okay. He just had such a rough night and I didn't want him to be alone yesterday," Joey apologized.

She nodded.

"I've been meaning to ask you something, Mr. Wheeler. It's been weighing heavily on me," Principal K said.

Joey stared at her confused. "Mam?"

Principal K sighed.

"I've been your principal since January, the second half of your sophomore year. It'll be eleven months this Friday. If you've been having so many issues for so long, why not come to me sooner?"

Joey sagged back into his seat with a heavy sigh. He stared down at his hands in his lap. Principal K waited patiently. She had known Joseph Wheeler long enough to know he talked best when not pressured too hard.

"I tried before. I tried talking to my elementary school principal, but he never had the time to see me. He wasn't at the school half the time so I didn't hold it against him. In umm…in middle school, I got into a lot of fights and the principal had me pegged from day one as a troublemaker. Didn't help she hated people who were…different. Didn't matter I'm only _half_ -American. Woman had a screech like a banshee when she yelled."

Principal K shook her head. She could hear the defeated tone in Wheeler's voice.

"I…didn't think of even trying with Principal Tanaka. He was a real ass to everyone and I knew a couple of guys like me he'd thrown the book at. Hell, he suspended a guy just because he answered a teacher without saying Mam. I was happy the day he got fired."

Principal K couldn't agree more. She knew the reputation of her predecessor all to well. She had had to work hard to clean up the damage he had done. It seems, to her, she was still doing damage control.

Joey lifted his head. He had a small smile on his face.

"Then you came to the school. Do you remember your first day here? You brought in students in groups of fifteen to your conference room. You had the students randomly selected across grades, backgrounds, whateva. Do you remember what you told us?"

Principal K remembered well what she had said. She was a little surprised Wheeler did. His smile grew, as if he were focusing on a very pleasant memory.

"You told us about yourself. How you were never a good student growing up and how you almost dropped out. Ya told us you were here for us. That yer door was always open to us. I…I been thinkin' about that a long time and I guess gettin' hit with the ruler…her yellin' at me…I had enough. I was bankin' on yer word and hopin' you'd listen."

There were tears misting in Principal K's eyes. She saw a lot of herself in Wheeler. The driving force that had kept her in school was a new Guidance Counselor. She had started seeing her weekly and she had pushed her to graduate not only from high school, but college, too.

She had been on the other side of the campus with her Assistant Principal when Wheeler had appeared in the front office. She had been seeing to a medical issue with a staff member.

" _Principal K, Mr. Wheeler here to see you, Mam."_

Principal K knew of his reputation from gossip among the staff members. Her Assistant Principal had told her to go, that he could hold things down with their staff member. When she arrived at the office, Wheeler looked so small, even as he stood to greet her. She had listened as he told her tale. She gave him the benefit of the doubt when he had explained his hearing loss, but it had helped when he showed her his hearing aids and gave her the number of his Audiologist.

"Does that answer your question, Mam?" Joey asked, quietly.

Principal K nodded. They both stood and she walked him to the door. She gently grabbed his elbow to stop him in the doorway. He turned back to face her.

"I wish you had come to me sooner, but I know how it feels to go until you reach a breaking point. I hope that you will come to me more if you should encounter any more problems. As I told you that first day, my door is always open," Principal K told him.

Joey nodded. She offered him a hand to shake, but instead got a big hug. Startled for a moment, the principal caught herself quick enough to give him a short pat on the back.

"Hope you have a nice week, Principal K," Joey said.

"And you as well, Mr. Wheeler."

Due to their discussion running long, Joey arrived a few minutes late to Math. He gave Miss Suzuki his office pass and the makeup work Yugi had brought him. She accepted both with a smile and sent him to his seat. If he thought his talk with the principal was odd, then Math class was straight out of Dr. Seuss' world.

Every time he kicked the back of Kaiba's chair, the man only tucked his phone away. He didn't once turn around and snap at Joey. Joey had a wild thought that maybe Kaiba finally figured out why he kicked his chair. After Math, the morning continued progressing well. Joey was relieved to make it to lunch.

He was in line for lunch when Duke saddled up beside him.

"Can we talk, Wheeler?" Duke asked, nudging his arm.

Joey turned his head and turned back away with the roll of his eyes. Duke nudged him again as they moved along the line.

"Come on, Wheeler," Duke urged.

Joey sighed as he reached out for a big basket of rice. He placed it on his tray.

" _Fine_. Give it to me," Joey said.

Duke grinned. Both of them grabbed bowls of soup and placed them on our trays.

"Thanks to what you said to me a few weeks ago, me and Tristan got together. We're going on another date this weekend. I guess I owe you thanks…and an apology," Duke confessed.

Joey stopped dead in the line, making Duke almost run into him. Joey had a carton of milk paused halfway to the tray that dropped awfully heavy onto his tray.

"You owe me a _what_ and… _ **what**_?!" Joey exclaimed.

Duke rolled his eyes so far back Joey thought he was possessed for a second there.

"Don't make a big deal out of it, Wheeler. And don't make me say it again," Duke told him.

Joey shook his head. The students behind them started getting antsy with trying to urge the two to move on with cries of "Come on, man!" and "Move it or lose it!" Joey tapped his head.

"Sorry, man. Kinda hard a'hearin' so you gotta repeat," Joey said.

Duke glared. He looked like he would rather French Kiss the cafeteria lady. However, Joey was pleased when Duke opened his mouth and repeated himself.

"Thank you, Wheeler, for getting me and Tristan together. I'm sorry for always giving you a hard time," Duke said.

Joey stared at him. For a moment, Duke worried he was going to make him say it a third time. Without warning, Joey reached out and slapped Duke on the arm.

" 's all good, Dice Boy. Still hate yer guts," Joey told him, before moving on.

Duke let out a big sigh of relief.

" _Thank God._ I hate you too."

They finished through the lunch line and made their way over to their friends. Naturally, Yugi went straight to the point and asked Joey about his Dad. He hadn't had a chance to ask him yesterday when he got in.

"Dad's doing okay now. He had a real rough night Saturday and we wound up in the E.R. early Sunday morning. When I got him back home, I told him I was staying another day. He wasn't happy about it, but he wasn't unhappy either," Joey explained.

All of his friends wished his father well. They talked about the upcoming Christmas holiday. Every year they held a Christmas party at The Game Shop on Christmas Eve so they could spend Christmas Day with their families.

"Oh! Joey, did you find a gift for your Secret Santa? I have time after school to go the mall again," Yugi said.

Joey shook his head.

"Thanks, Yug, but it's not needed. My old man helped me find something real nice. I think my Secret Santa will love it. I take it in to the office on Friday. Everyone's gets their gifts then," Joey explained.

Yugi grinned. "That's awesome! Hey, is anyone ready for final exams next week?"

The whole group let out one big groan. Yugi shrugged, a sheepish grin playing across his face.

/…/

"I love your apartment, Joey!"

Joey chuckled as he finished giving Mokuba the tour.

"Glad ya like it, kiddo. Ya sure yer brother's okay with ya visitin'?" Joey asked.

Mokuba shot Joey an annoyed look before rolling his eyes. This was the fifth time Joey had asked this.

"Joey, Seto knows I'm spending time with you. He said my grades were up and it was okay for me to hang out with you. He trusts you." Smile. "Hey, let's play some video games!"

Joey froze in the hallway as Mokuba dashed into the living room. He started unwinding the controller cords and going through Joey's games. Joey stared off in space.

Had Kaiba actually said that? Had he said point blank said that he trusted his school rival Joseph Wheeler? Could it be possible? But if so…

 _Why_ , Joey thought. _Why would he ever have a reason to trust me?_

"I'm going to kick your butt, Joey! Mario Kart is _my_ game!"

Joey blinked and snapped out of his faze. He smiled as he crossed and dropped down. He snatched up another controller.

"Bring it on, Little Man! Me and Yoshi _own_ this game!" Joey proclaimed.

It wasn't long before the boys had finished their Mario Kart tournament and were ordering dinner. After dinner was ordered and they played a few more games, Roland arrived to take Mokuba home.

"Thanks for comin', kid. I enjoyed havin' you here. I kinda see ya as muh little brother. Hope that's okay," Joey said.

Mokuba grinned from ear to ear. He stepped forward to envelope Joey in a warm hug. Joey squeezed an arm around him to return it. Mokuba waited until he stepped back and Joey was looking at him.

"Of course it's okay, Joey! You're like a big brother to me. It's part of the reason I like hanging out with you. You make me feel safe and I'm able to have a great time because I feel safe around you," Mokuba explained.

For twice in one night, Joey found himself frozen again. He had always felt protective over the youth, but he had never imagined Mokuba _felt_ he was protected. Roland cleared his throat. Mokuba, taking it for the signal it, waved goodbye to Joey.

"I'll see you later, Joey. Have a good night."

Joey waved goodbye as Mokuba and Roland left in the elevator. After standing in the hall for a few seconds, Joey disappeared back inside his apartment. He locked up for the night and walked around turning off lights. Joey was calm yet excited for tomorrow. He hoped his Secret Santa would like his gift.

Joey felt sore and a hot shower was just the ticket. He stood in there for what felt like forever just letting the how beads rain down on his back. His muscles loosened up and felt a thousand times better. He washed up with soap before moving on to his hair. By the time he crawled out of his shower, the water had grown cold.

Joey brushed his teeth and ran a brush through his hair. He pulled on a pair of boxers before slipping into bed. His head rested on the pillow for a few minutes as he slowly drifted off to his dreams of the evening.

 **END OF CHAPTER SIXTEEN**


	17. Chapter 17

**Kittona:** Thanks. I was trying to come up with a good reason for Joey to have waited to speak to the principal. I'm glad I seemed to have done a good job. Guess you'll have to read the chapter to find out about theSecret Santa.

 **Magicjewel:** Glad you're enjoying the chapters! Much as I would love everyone to have great relations at school, I can't imagine it's been easy for Joey's character.

 **Talyak:** Here's your new update! 😊

 **YaoiFanaticFreak:** Been there, done that. When you find one you like, you can't just stop with one chapter. Originally, the thought was the abusive father, but I wanted to try a different perspective for the father.

 **Kiss death666:** Thank you! Hope you enjoy the ending in this chapter too.

 **Sky-kaijou:** Because I'm great a Hide & Seek? Lol Mario Kart is the game of games. Especially if you're at a Dave & Buster's. I'm glad you think it's unique and am happy to hear you're enjoying it.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey all, hope you're still with me here! I know it's been a while, but things have been busy getting back to work and readying for the year. So many changes and so little time to adjust in. It's been a bumpy but somewhat smooth start. I've had little time to sit down and write. I was finally able to finish this half-written chapter. I'm curious to see what everyone thinks.**

 **CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

It was late and Joey was in Hawk's office reviewing final details when the Secret Santa delivery came by. The delivery person sifted through the cart outside Hawk's open door. Joey smiled. He could see his messily wrapped, blue paper gift on the bottom of the cart.

"I think _that_ is a sure sign to call it a night, Wheels," Hawk said, putting down his clipboard.

Joey shook his head while setting his own clipboard aside. The delivery person brought in two gifts. One gift was a plain gold-colored bag with strings the deliver person carried. The other one was a light and dark green striped box carried in one arm.

"Got your gifts here, Sirs," the delivery woman said.

Hawk stood up from his desk and walked around to take his gift from her. She glanced at the striped green box and shook her head.

"This one's for Wheels, Sir. _This_ one's yours," she said.

Raising an eyebrow, Hawk took the gold bag from her with a thank you. Joey took the other gift with an equal note of gratitude. She wished them a Merry Christmas before leaving with her cart. Joey put his aside while Hawk pulled out tissue paper.

"What do we have her-Oh ho ho! _Awesome!_ "

Joey didn't have to wait long for Hawk to carefully pull out the hidden gift. Joey was confused when he saw a lightsaber. However, Hawk pulled out a long USB cord and Joey realized what it was.

"A portable charger?" Joey asked.

Hawk grinned. "A portable charger disguised as a lightsaber. Star Wars is number one, Wheels."

Joey grinned. Hawk immediately moved to the closest outlet to charge the lightsaber. Then he whipped around and looked expectantly at Joey. It took Joey a few seconds too long to figure out why Hawk was giving him a curious look.

"Oh!"

Hawk chuckled with the roll of his eyes. Joey carefully unwrapped the ribbon. He peeled the paper away one piece of tape at a time. He could practically hear Hawk's teeth grinding with anticipation. He flashed him a sly smirk, earning him a mild glare. When he got to the box, Joey carefully peeled the tape off and opened the box.

Whatever was hidden inside was covered over by several sheets of tissue paper. Joey ran his hands through, trying to locate the item within.

"You're killing me, Wheels! What did you get?" Hawk pestered.

Joey chuckled as he pulled out a small object that was wrapped in wrapping paper. Hawk let out an agonized groan and flopped down into his desk chair.

"Your Secret Santa is _evil_! All you're missing is a layer of bubble wrap and zip ties!" Hawk exclaimed.

The object felt a little heavy, but not too heavy. He gently tore away the wrapping paper to reveal a small rectangular box. Another equally agonizing groan erupted in the background. Smiling, Joey carefully pried open the box. Joey gasped softly.

Lying on a soft cushion was a silver pocket watch. The top covering was expertly detailed with the image of a sleeping dragon with one wing stretched out around its back. When Joey popped open the pocket watch, the watch face was gorgeous. It was clear right through to the beautiful roman numerals etched in a circle.

Hawk appeared at his side. He smiled down over Joey's shoulder.

"It's a wonderful gift, Joey. A lot of thought went into this one," Hawk whispered.

Joey heard him yet didn't respond. But he agreed. Someone had given him a special gift. He only wished he knew who to thank.

Meanwhile, upstairs on the top floor, Seto was putting the finishes touches on a contract. He heard a buzz from his intercom.

"Yes, Kita?"

" _Sir, I have your Secret Santa gift._ "

"Come in."

The double doors buzzed open and Kita came through with the cart. It had three gifts remaining, including Joey's messily wrapped gift. Seto smile as he saved his document and closed it out. He stood and maneuvered around his desk.

"Thank you, Kita. Did you enjoy yourself?" Seto asked.

Kita giggled.

"Of course, Sir. I love seeing the joy on people's faces when I hand them their gifts," Kita replied.

Seto shook his head as Kita reached down for his gift. She handed it him then reached back down for her own gift. Seto gestured at her gift.

"It looks as though someone wasn't sure how much tape to use," Seto smiled.

Kita rolled her eyes.

"That will make it all the more fun to unwrap later. At least mine didn't use the brightest glare of silver they could find," she replied.

Seto rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say, Kita. And that last one? Where the person clearly needs some lessons in gift wrapping?" Seto asked.

Kita sighed.

"Seiichi Kawano had a family emergency. I hope to give him his gift on Monday," Kita explained.

"Tell him to take all the time he needs," Seto told her.

Kita flashed him a smile. "Of course, Sir. Have a good evening."

Seto watched her go before grabbing up his bag. He decided he would unwrap his gift at home. He sent a message down to Roland that he was ready to go home. On his way to meet Roland, Seto spotted Hawk and Wheeler across the parking garage. With a keen eye, Seto was able to spot a very familiar box tucked under Wheeler's arm.

He shook his head as he slipped into his SUV.

 _J.W.? I should have known it was Wheeler_ , he thought.

Seto hoped the blonde man liked the pocket watch. He wasn't sure what occasions Wheeler would have use for him. On the ride home, he started having second thoughts about the gift he had given.

 _Perhaps I should have chosen something more suited. Or more practical. How often would someone have the opportunity to use a pocket watch,_ Seto wondered.

He sighed. He was still in his funk when he reached home. When he walked inside, he dropped his things off with Roland and headed upstairs. Mokuba appeared from the kitchen with a snack in hand.

"Welcome home, Big Brother!" Mokuba called to him.

He was confused when his brother paid him no mind. It rarely happened, but when it did it meant his brother was deep in thought about something. Mokuba turned to face Roland.

"Did Big Brother have a big meeting or new project today?" Mokuba asked.

Roland shook his head.

"No, Sir. I am unsure what has put him in this state," Roland answered.

Mokuba jabbed his finger at the new package in Roland's hands.

"Is that Seto's Secret Santa gift?" Mokuba asked.

Roland nodded as he handed it down to Mokuba. The young boy grinned from ear to ear.

"Maybe opening this will cheer Seto up," Mokuba said, before dashing up the stairs with it.

Mokuba found his brother in his office. He was sitting in front of his computer with the screen projected on a wall. Mokuba expected to see a contract or video of a project, but all he saw was the desktop.

"Seto, I brought you your Secret Santa gift. Don't you want to open it?" Mokuba asked.

"Later," Seto murmured.

Mokuba pouted, but set the gift down on his brother's desk. He walked around the desk to Seto's side. Seto's hands lay on the keyboard, but remained motionless. He was staring at the screen, but had a far-off gaze.

"Did you find out who your Secret Santa was?" Mokuba asked.

"Wheeler," Seto said, without thinking.

Mokuba was momentarily thrown off by his brother not only knowing Joey worked at Kaiba Corp, but also that he was Seto's Secret Santa. Then he turned into an excited ball of energy, since Seto didn't seem upset about Joey's employment.

"You had Joey as your Secret Santa? Cool! What did you get him?" Mokuba asked.

Seto sighed before sitting back in his chair and describing the pocket watch to him. Mokuba smiled wide.

"Joey will love it! I can't wait to see it," Mokuba said.

His smile fell, however, when his brother's lost look returned to his face.

"Seto, what's wrong?" Mokuba asked.

It was silent for so long Mokuba started to repeat his question. Seto cut him off mid-sentence.

"Perhaps I should have purchased something more practical. A pocket watch is so old-fashioned. I'm not sure what I was thinking," Seto murmured.

Mokuba frowned. He had never heard Seto so worried over something so trivial. He rolled his eyes as he pulled out of his phone and synced it to his brother's laptop. It threw his phone screen up on the projector screen. Seto watched as Mokuba opened a new text message.

 **M: Hi Joey! What's up?**

It took only a few seconds for a reply to come in. Mokuba figured Joey probably had his phone close by.

 **J: Hey kid! Not much. Just got home from work. Whatcha still doing up?**

Seto's snort covered Mokuba's. A typical big brother response.

 **M: It's Friday night. BB lets me stay up. Hey wasn't Secret Santa today?**

"BB?" Seto asked.

Mokuba smiled. "Big Brother, Seto!"

Seto rolled his eyes with the small shake of his head. A small ping filled the room and Seto looked up.

 **J: Ah man it's great! My SS got me the COOLEST thing ever! It's a pocket watch but it's got this dragon design on it and…**

Seto had to re-read the text a couple of times for it to sink in. Wheeler…liked his gift? But what use could he have other than decoration? Mokuba seemed to have the same thought.

 **M: What are you going to do with it?**

 **J: Well, I'm gonna show the guys tomorrow. I might just keep it on me. I don't wear a watch and it gets old pulling my phone out to look at the time.**

Seto shook his head again as he disconnected the connection between Mokuba's phone and his computer. Mokuba looked at him worried. Seto smiled.

"Thank you, Mokuba. I forget sometimes how…special Wheeler can be."

Mokuba grinned. "Glad I could help, Big Brother!"

Mokuba gave him a hug before stepping back with an apologetic look on his face.

"What?" Seto asked.

"Are you mad I didn't tell you Joey was working for you?" Mokuba asked.

Seto frowned. "But he doesn't work for me. Well, not directly. He works for Hawk. He's Hawk's intern. Hawk works for me."

Mokuba grinned. They both knew that wasn't how it worked, but Mokuba wasn't going to dispute what his brother had to say.

"Whatever you say, Big Brother."

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Joey was sitting on the end of his bed. He was gently polishing the pocket watch with some polish he borrowed from Hawk. He couldn't get over the detailed beauty of the dragon. Whoever had been selling the watch had clearly been taking great care with it.

He stood up and crossed over to his dresser. He gently placed the watch in its case and closed the lid.

/…/

The gang spent the entire weekend studying together for their semester final exams. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses. They quizzed each other and shared their test-taking strategies they used. Joey stepped out to attend a team meeting over speakerphone. He gave his report of his progress with his partner on their assignments. Hawk provided feedback and others voiced their thoughts.

When Joey returned, the group called out for lunch. After breaking for lunch, the group of friends played a board while eating. Joey chose that time to show everyone his watch. They were all impressed. Duke had his suspicions of who may have been Joey's Secret Santa but, for once, he kept his mouth shut.

After their break time, the group returned to their studying. By the time Sunday evening rolled around, everyone was exhausted and felt as though they couldn't cram any more knowledge in their heads.

Joey never even made it to his bed. He had his alarm set on his phone so he wouldn't oversleep in the morning. The alarm would certainly help come morning, since he was out cold across the couch. One of his hearing aids lay on the floor with its battery door open while the other hung loose from his ear.

 **END OF CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**


	18. Chapter 18

**Kittona:** Just wait until you read what I have below.

 **Magicjewel:** Sorry I didn't update as soon. Adulting sucks. If I could sit home all day and write fan fics and somehow get paid, I would gladly do it.

 **Talyak:** Oh yes.

 **Author's Note: Sorry for the long awaited update, folks! Been a busy time in this house and not slowing down any. My hearts out to those who may be in my old home state of North Carolina. Those in the path of Florence please be safe.**

 **CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

Joey sighed. He took his right hearing aid out and popped the battery door open. He set it at the left corner of his desk. He had woken up on time that morning, thanks to his alarm. However, he had neglected to check his hearing aid batteries. Now he had a dead battery in one of his hearing aids and no battery pack on him.

Thankfully, it was final exams so he wouldn't really need them in class. The day would still be hard, though. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement at the corner of his desk where his hearing aid was. He ignored it for a few moments in favor of finishing the current problem he was on.

When he lifted his head, Joey was surprised to find a packet of batteries sitting with his hearing aid. He glanced up and around the room. He saw the teacher walking away from having come up the aisle. Joey smiled as he opened the packet and inserted a new battery.

Because of his back of the class seat, he didn't see the small grin on the student in front of him. Joey looped his hearing aid back into his ear and returned his attention to his test. Now with that off his mind, he was able to finish his exam with ease.

The rest of the day ran somewhat smoothly with the exams. Lunch was a nice reprieve, but it was too short in Joey's opinion. After the school day came to a merciful end, Joey ran home to grab his overnight bag and white elephant gift. Everyone met up at The Game Shop. Yami closed the shop early and everyone disappeared upstairs.

They gathered all the gifts in one spot. They ordered dinner and spread around the room chatting about different things. At some point, Mokuba showed up with his brother in tow. No one was surprised to see the younger male since he _had_ been invited. Kaiba was a surprise, but everyone figured he was just dropping Mokuba off. Nonetheless, Yugi still welcomed him with a hope he would stay.

"No thank you, Yugi. I'm only here to speak with Devlin," Seto replied politely.

It was more than a little surprising for the CEO to disappear into the kitchen with Duke. Joey pointed off to the other room.

"What's up with that?" Joey asked Mokuba.

Mokuba shrugged. "I don't know."

Duke leaned back against the counter.

"So you wanted to talk, Kaiba?" Duke asked.

"Call my office after the holiday. I would like to…entertain the thought of mutual business," Seto said.

Confused, Duke had to think over Seto's words in other to process the meaning.

"A meeting? Really?" Duke paused. "Why now? What's changed?"

Seto crossed his arms over his chest.

"I had the misfortune of…misplacing your proposal. My secretary recently located it and I perused it. It shows promise," Seto said.

Duke was beginning to see just how much Wheeler working at Kaiba Corp was impacting Kaiba. It was only by his influence that Duke felt this change had come over Kaiba. He hadn't apologized for the delay or the misplacement of Duke's proposal, but he had openly admitted to the actual misplacement.

"Thanks, Kaiba. I'll be sure to make that call," Duke said.

Seto nodded.

"Good." Pause. "Now perhaps you can answer an inquiry of my own."

Duke motioned for him to go on.

"I heard you apologized to Wheeler."

Duke sighed. "Was that your question?"

Seto glanced out of the kitchen to the living room. Duke followed his gaze to where Joey was talking excitedly with Teá and Mokuba. They were laughing at something he said.

"Did he offer you forgiveness?" Seto asked quietly.

Duke chuckled. Seto turned back to him.

"He didn't say it in _those_ words, but I think he did. Still hates my guts," Duke replied.

Seto made a small hmm sound before nodding his head to Duke and stepping back out of the kitchen. Seto passed by Yami and Bakura to reach his brother.

[hnak khatu baynahuma] Bakura murmured. (There is a line between them)

From beside Bakura, Yami frowned at the dark thief before glancing between Joey and Kaiba. Kaiba had come out to say a final few words to Mokuba. Joey stood nearby still talking with Teá. It was true. It was faint but there was a line connecting the two males.

Bakura chuckled. ['ant lm tueraf fireawn?] (You didn't know, Pharaoh?)

Yami glared. Yami murmured a whole slew of unsavory words at Bakura who merely stepped away chuckling. Seto soon departed with a promise to pick up Mokuba in the morning. The party went into full swing when dinner arrived at the same time Mai showed up with Serenity.

"You mean your brother knows about _my_ brother?" Serenity gasped.

Mokuba nodded. Everyone was scattered about the room eating pizza. They were sitting off to the side in their own little spot.

"He was even Joey's Secret Santa. He was worried Joey didn't like it," Mokuba whispered back.

Serenity jerked back in surprise. Then she leaned forward, her pizza growing cold on her plate.

"But Big Brother _loves_ that pocket watch."

Mokuba nodded again. He shared with her everything that had happen as of late. Serenity frowned.

"You said your brother was worried Joey wouldn't like his gift? I don't understand," Serenity said.

Mokuba shook his head.

"I don't either. Seto's never been worried about something like that."

The two siblings sat chatting while occasionally glancing over at Joey who was talking with Yugi and Yami. The blonde couldn't help but notice the stares.

"Is it just me…or does it look like those two are plottin' somethin'?" Joey asked.

Yugi chuckled. "I'm sure it's all in your head, Joey."

Yami didn't comment, seeing as he didn't share in his lover's opinion. He could easily tell they _were_ plotting something.

After the food was scarfed down, the group of friends played board games, played their gift exchange game, and watched movies. The group were surprised to find out how good a player Joey was at Monopoly. By around three in the morning, they were all scattered about the living room fast asleep.

Before Kaiba could return for Mokuba, Joey and Serenity left early that morning to catch a bus back to Joey's apartment. From there, they borrowed Hawk's car to drive out to the country to spend Christmas with their father.

"It's great that Mom would let you come spend Christmas with us," Joey said.

Serenity smiled. She had one of Joey's hearing aids in her hand. It had died mid-drive and she had offered to change the battery out. She put the dead battery in a cup holder to throw it out later. Carefully reaching over, she gently hooked it back into his ear and made sure it was secure.

"How's that?" Serenity asked.

Joey flashed her a big grin.

"Perfect! Thanks, 'Ren."

She hugged his arm before sitting back in her seat.

"I had a great time at Yugi's! It was so much fun getting to see everyone," Serenity commented.

Joey laughed.

"It must have been. You and Mokuba talked for a long time. What _were_ you two talkin' about anyway?" Joey asked.

Serenity giggled and reached out to pat her brother on the arm.

"Just about school. Mokuba wanted to know what I was learning in math at my school," Serenity explained.

Joey doubted they spent all that time talking about school, but he didn't voice his doubts aloud. He didn't want to sour his sister's visit. Thankfully, she decided to change the subject.

"How do you like your new job at Kaiba Corp? Is it funny working for Mokuba's brother?" Serenity asked.

Joey shook his head as he slowed down before taking a turn.

"Funny ain't the word I'd use. 's more weird than anything else. Hawk's real nice to work with and the whole team's awesome. I guess I jus' keep waiting for Kaiba to swoop in and fire me," Joey admitted.

Serenity gasped. "He would never! Not after everything you've done for the company. Especially after you got that presentation to him when he forget it. I bet Hawk would defend you."

Joey shrugged. He supposed Hawk _would_ defend him right down to getting canned himself. Now he thought about it, after the whole flash drive incident, Hawk _had_ told him Kaiba had said he had a job at Kaiba Corp for as long as he wanted.

 _But I don't know if that offer would still be extended if he knew it was me. This new side of Kaiba I've been seeing lately…I just don't know,_ Joey thought.

Serenity stared at her big brother. He saw the road and drove safely yet he seemed to be miles and miles away.

 _Just like Mokuba said about his brother,_ Serenity thought, curiously.

They were pulling up to their father's home around the lunch hour. It was a nice small home located around a large grouping of trees. Their father was sitting on the porch with a book in his lap. He stood on shaky feet. Serenity ran to greet him with a shout of welcoming.

Joey stood out of the car a lot slower. His gaze fell on the cane his father was now heavily leaning on. His heart plummeted. Tears sprung to his eyes, but he blinked them back. He had been mentally preparing himself for this, but it still hurt.

 _I wish I could do more, Dad,_ Joey thought as he walked over.

His father turned and greeted him with a firm half hug.

"Hello, son. Have a good drive?" he asked.

"It was okay, Dad," Joey said in a quiet voice.

Serenity made a sound in the background about gifts and dashing to the car. Joey's father reached out and grasped his arm. He leaned in close and rasped in a deep voice, "I know, son. I know."

/…/

"It was great, Seto! We played games and watched movies. You should have seen Joey! Did you know he's _really_ good at Monopoly?"

Seto chuckled from the driver's seat.

"Perhaps I should play him some time," Seto joked.

Mokuba grinned from ear to ear. "I bet he'd love that!"

Seto shook his head as he turned into Kaiba Mansion.

"I'm glad you had fun, Mokuba. Do you think you might have some time today to perform some product testing for us?" Seto asked.

Mokuba jumped in his seat excitedly.

"Of course, Big Brother! I'll get started right away!"

Mokuba zipped out of the car and through the front door before Seto could even cut the engine. With a chuckle, Seto shook his head again. He put the car into park and cut the engine. When he climbed out, he handed off the keys to one of his security to put the car away. As he crossed over the threshold, Roland handed him a folder.

"The information you had requested, Sir," Roland instructed.

Seto raised an eyebrow.

"About Wheeler Senior, Sir," Roland added.

Seto hummed and waved him away. He opened the folder and started looking through the papers as he disappeared down the hall to his downstairs study. The young CEO dropped down hard in his armchair.

 _Hawk was right. He_ _ **is**_ _sick,_ Seto thought.

He had been hoping there was something that could be done or offered to extend the elder man's life. However, the papers would indicate otherwise. The man had a weak immune system and his

liver was failing. Wheeler Senior had just accomplished a year in Alcoholics Anonymous.

Seto understood now the need for Wheeler's father to relocate out of the city. It was regrettable that the liver was too far gone for any of today's science to help. He only hoped the man could at least have a good Christmas with his son and daughter. He sat staring at the results in his lap for a long time, trying to will the stack of papers to provide him answers.

 **END OF CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**


	19. Chapter 19

**Talyak:** Oh Kaiba is always learning. He just doesn't know it.

 **Kittona:** I finally just updated another story that I couldn't even tell you the last time I updated. Hope you like this new update. 😊

 **CHAPTER NINETEEN**

Christmas soon departed and with it the Christmas Break. Students returned to school and Joey returned to work. Everything seemed to be going well. Joey was working on a problem at the board when a student monitor appeared at the door. The teacher accepted the note.

"Mr. Motu, please come and finish the problem for Mr. Wheeler," she instructed.

Joey jerked his head around with an offended look on his face. She held the note up.

"Office. And take your bag."

Joey was stunned when he had been summoned to the office and told to bring his bag. He was beyond surprised when he found Roland waiting in the office for him. Kaiba wasn't at school today and he wasn't scheduled to work until tomorrow.

The man gestured for him to follow him. Roland didn't speak until they reached the SUV waiting outside for them.

"You've been checked out for the remainder of the school day. Your teachers have been informed of a family emergency and your assignments are in this folder," Roland explained, passing Joey a folder.

The blonde frowned down at it before looking up at him with a panicked look.

"My dad?" Joey gasped, thinking Roland knew something he didn't.

Roland shook his head.

"No, no. The excuse of a family emergency was to excuse you from school. It's Mokuba."

Joey listened as Roland explained. Mokuba had grown sick at school. His brother was six hours away on business and had yet to be notified. Mokuba, knowing his brother wouldn't be back until later, had asked for the one other person he really wanted at that moment.

"Me? The kid asked for me?" Joey gasped.

Roland nodded as they pulled into the parking lot of the elementary school. Roland went to the office to check Roland out while Joey slipped into the clinic. The poor kid looked absolutely miserable. He was curled on his side with one arm wrapped around his stomach. When he opened his eyes, Mokuba spotted him and smiled best as he could.

It took a little coaxing for Mokuba to stand. With his stomach still very queasy, Mokuba was lifted carefully onto Joey's back. The older male walked slowly to the car so as not to jostle the ill child. Roland opened the door and helped Joey to settle the boy down. Mokuba laid out across the backseat while Joey jumped in the passenger seat.

It was a short trip to Joey's apartment to which Mokuba thankfully didn't get sick. However, soon upon arriving upstairs, Mokuba couldn't hold his stomach in. Joey tried his best to reassure the younger male it was okay, that the mess could easily be cleaned up. While Roland saw to the mess, Joey took Mokuba into the bathroom and helped him get cleaned up.

Once he had the sickly boy wrapped up in blankets, Joey brought him some water. Mokuba didn't drink much, but Joey told him it was okay.

"Soon as you're feeling a little better, we'll try somethin' some soup, 'kay?" Joey asked.

Mokuba nodded weakly.

"I was gonna give ya some advil, but I better wait until la'der after ya get some res'," Joey explained.

Mokuba groaned. Joey tucked him in and stayed with him until he fell asleep. When Joey stepped out of the room with the door left open, he found Roland waiting.

"Kaiba been told?" Joey asked quietly.

Roland nodded. "He won't arrive until later."

Joey sighed while reaching up to run a hand through his hair.

"You gonna stay, too?" Joey asked.

This time, Roland shook his head.

"No, Mr. Wheeler. I have business at Kaiba Corp to attend to. Young Mr. Kaiba is in good hands."

With a small bow of his head, Roland departed from the apartment. While Mokuba slept, Joey found quiet activities to occupy his time. He caught up on cleaning and putting away dishes, did some light cleaning around the apartment, and even started work on his schoolwork. Mokuba, thankfully, slept peacefully for most of the morning.

He dashed to the bathroom once, thinking he was going to be sick, but luckily was able to hold his stomach in. Mokuba was doubly lucky he was able to keep down the water and broth Joey brought for lunch. After lunch, Joey sat with him watching a little television. Mokuba drifted off at some point.

Joey kept the television on so Mokuba could have a little background noise as he slept. It was nearing four in the afternoon when Joey got a look at the clock. Looking at the clock on his phone, he walked over to the door, looked through the peephole, and smiled. He unlocked the door and pulled the door open to reveal Seto.

"Why don't you seem surprised to see me?" Joey asked.

Seto smirked. "Because I'm not. I spoke with Hawk after _you_ returned that flash drive to me."

Joey felt his face heat up. That was all the way before Christmas which meant Kaiba had known…

 _For months?! How the Hell was he able to keep it a secret that long,_ Joey thought.

Joey moved aside, allowing the taller male to enter. Joey led him to the master bedroom where Mokuba was still fast asleep. It didn't stop the older Kaiba from checking him over. Joey left them alone to start working on dinner. He knew Mokuba wouldn't be able to stomach much, but he imagined Kaiba probably had skipped out on lunch.

Soon warm smells filled the kitchen. Joey filled a tray with Gatorade and a bowl of chicken noodle. He walked down the hall where he could just barely hear voices.

"…fine, Big Brother. I jus'…don't wanna leave. My stomach really hurts," Mokuba said.

"Well, it's a good thing you don't have to leave, kid," Joey said, coming into the room.

Seto was sitting on the opposite side of the bed on the side while Mokuba sat up against the pillows. Both looked up at Joey as he came over to place the tray down across Mokuba's lap.

"But Joey, I'll have to stay here for another day. Or until my fever breaks," Mokuba protested.

Seto didn't miss the caring gleam in Wheeler's eye.

" 's all right, Mokuba. I can miss a couple a'days of school and work. Besides, I'm sure yer brother's got business to take care'a this week," Joey said.

Seto didn't want to admit it out loud, but Wheeler's words rang true. There were several important business meetings this week that demanded his presence.

"Where's your lunch, Joey?" Mokuba asked.

Joey grinned.

"Mine and yer brother's is sitting in the kitchen." Seto raised an eyebrow in his direction. "I didn't want the smell botherin' ya."

Mokuba smiled.

"Thanks, Joey. Seto, you can go eat. Joey will stay with me."

Joey had his head turned away fiddling with his hearing aid. He didn't catch the quick eye Seto sent his way. Patting his brother gently on the shoulder, Seto stood, crossed around the bed, and left the room. The second Seto came out of the hallway, a gorgeous smell hit him full force. He followed the smell into the kitchen where a generous helping of lasagna sat on a plate with a fork.

He took it over to the table and tucked in. The first taste sent a splash of mouthwatering flavors down his tongue. He thought he had eaten lasagna before, but no other lasagnas held a candle to the one he was eating right now. Seto found himself not only polishing off the plate, but jumping up for seconds.

The evening was uneventful. Seto sat quietly in a chair nearby Mokuba's bed while Joey was elsewhere in the apartment. After Seto was assured his brother was down for the evening, he stood to leave. He stopped short in the hallway when he spotted Joey.

The poor blonde was sprawled out across the couch with the television running in the background. Seto shook his head. He walked over and glanced around until he found the remote. He turned off the tv and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch. Seto laid it out over the blonde and smoothed it down.

He gently moved Joey's head to remove his hearing aids. He opened the battery doors and laid the hearing aids down on the coffee table. He patted the blonde's head gently like one would to a good dog. Seto let himself out, making sure to lock the door behind him.

/…/

Seto sighed as he pulled into the parking lot of The Towers. Mokuba had been able to go back to school yesterday and today, Wheeler hadn't shown up to class. When questioning the front office, he discovered the blonde had called in sick. Seto knew it must mean only one thing.

 _Wheeler caught Mokuba's flu,_ Set thought as he stepped out of his car.

He caught the elevator up. He had the path to Wheeler's apartment memorized. He gently rapped on the door. It came as no surprise when no one answered. Seto pulled his keys out. There was an advantage to owning the building; he got a master key.

Wheeler was a miserable mess. He was curled up on the couch with most of his body and face hidden under a large blanket. A, thankfully empty, wastebasket sat near the couch. The television wasn't even on.

It took some coaxing to urge Wheeler to his feet. Seto was almost certain Wheeler wasn't aware of who it was guiding him to his bedroom. The taller male tucked him against his body as he guided him down the hall. Seto guided him through the open master bedroom door. He pulled back the covers and helped the blonde lay down.

Pulling the pillow to even Wheeler's head on it, Seto could feel the heated fever emanating from the poor blonde. Seto disappeared into the bathroom, only to reappear with a damp washcloth. He smoothed it out across Wheeler's forehead.

" _Seto! If Joey_ _ **is**_ _sick, will you stay with him? Pleassse? No one should be alone when they're sick."_

 _Sigh. "I promise."_

With the strong desire to keep his promise to his brother, Seto walked around to the other end of the bed and sat down. He propped up a free pillow and sat up against the headboard.

Seto watched over the blonde while he looked over some documents on his kPad. At some point, Wheeler moved closer and was laying terribly close to him. Fortunately, Seto didn't push him away. His little brother was the same way when he was sick. He understood the need to seek out companionship in your sick hour.

Wheeler rubbed his face against his pillow with a small groan. His hand held a small piece of Seto's pants just below his knee. Seto tolerated his presence, but somewhere in between legal jargon, he forgot the blonde was even there.

All the sudden, there was a cough and gagging noise. Seto had the sense to raise his arms up just in time for Joey to barrel roll over his legs and stumble into the bathroom. Seto groaned when he heard the unmistakable sound reminiscent of the flu.

He closed his kPad case and stood. He paused in the doorway, waiting for Joey to finish. The young CEO startled slightly when he heard the blonde mumble, " 'at yer doin' 'ere, 'aiba?" Seto thought carefully about his answer before giving him the very answer his brother had given him.

"No one deserves to be alone when they're sick."

Joey gagged and turned his head away to aim back into the toilet. Seto wrinkled his nose. He left temporarily to fetch a spray bottle of febreeze. When Seto returned, Joey had hauled himself to his feet, flushed the toilet, and cleaned his mouth. After spraying the cinnamon scented spray, Seto left and returned with a bottle of water.

Joey slowly drank about a third of it before crawling back into bed. Seto returned to his perch beside the younger male. Seto tried to return his focus to contracts, but Joey kept tossing and turning. Glancing down, Seto could tell the other couldn't find a comfortable position.

Joey was facing away from Seto when he felt the bed rise. Joey sighed. He didn't blame the older male for leaving. He _did_ enjoy the company but wouldn't expect the CEO to stay long. He was starting to think he'd never fall asleep again when he suddenly felt the bed dip down behind him.

Gentle yet firm hands carefully moved him. Joey opened his blurry, tired gaze to find out what was happening. Kaiba had left the room to bring back a medium-sized, square pillow. He bent one of his legs with his foot resting beside the other leg. He put the pillow over the space between the bent leg and straight one.

Joey now lay with his head on the pillow with his body leaning up against Seto's straight leg. Joey wondered what was going on until he felt a hand land on his shoulder. Joey stiffened when the hand ran across his shoulders. Slowly as the movement eased the tension from his shoulders, Joey fell into dreamland.

Even long after the male fell asleep, Seto kept rubbing his shoulders. It was unconsciously done as he read through the contracts. He was startled an hour later when his phone went off. Seto scrambled to answer so it didn't wake the sick man.

"Hello?"

" _Seto! How's Joey?_ "

Seto sighed. "He's sick, 'kuba. He's resting right now."

Seto glanced down and frowned. His free hand had somehow moved upwards from the shoulders to head. Seto's hand was now running freely through soft blonde hair. It seemed to have calmed Joey even more as he was resting more peacefully with a small smile on his face.

" _Aww. I hope he feels better. I didn't mean to get him sick._ "

Seto let out a quiet chuckle.

"He knows that, 'kuba. He wouldn't have allowed you to stay if he hadn't been willing to take the risk of catching the flu, too."

" _I didn't think about it that way. How long are you going to stay with him, Big Brother?_ "

"As long as he wants me to stay. Roland is bringing me a bag later if I wind up staying the night. Will you be okay later at home?" Seto asked.

" _Of course, Seto! I can take care of myself. Tell Joey to get well soon._ "

Seto smiled. "I will. Now get back to class."

" _Aww, Seto._ "

Seto chuckled again as he hung up. He startled again when a sleepy voice drifted up to his ears.

" 'm 'ungry,"

"How long have you been awake?" Seto demanded.

Joey smiled sleepily, turning his slightly back towards Seto.

" 'fore da phone rang," Joey answered.

Seto closed his eyes with barely restrained patience.

"Why didn't you say something?" Seto asked through gritted teeth.

Joey shrugged.

"Made muh headache go 'way. Why would I?" Joey asked.

Seto shook his head. He carefully maneuvered himself out from under Joey while trying not to jostle his head too roughly. He made them both lunch. He made himself a small sandwich that hopefully wouldn't upset Joey's senses while he ate his soup nearby.

Seto froze. Had he just thought of Wheeler as _Joey_?!

 _When the Hell did that happen,_ Seto wondered.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and continued down the hall. Luckily, Joey's stomach allowed them to eat in peace. After lunch, Joey dragged himself into the shower in hopes of helping his sore muscles. While Joey was in the shower, Seto made a few calls out in the living room.

Much of the afternoon passed the same way as before. Joey put on a movie that neither one of them really paid attention to, but it was nice to have on. Luckily, Joey's stomach didn't upset on him for the rest of the night. His fever was still there but he was able to eat more for dinner. Feeling Joey would be fine through the night, Seto retired to the guest bedroom.

However, sleep eluded Seto for a long time.

 **END OF CHAPTER NINETEEN**


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

It took a few days for Joey to get back up in his energy levels. He was able to return to school and work. Things got busy over the following weeks with working on projects with his department. He barely had any time to hang out with his friends.

Joey was surprised when, during some down time at the office, he got a visitor.

"Hey, Mokuba. What ya up to, kid?" Joey asked.

Mokuba smiled as he slapped five with Joey.

"I came in to help with some testing. I wanted to stop by and see you. I haven't seen you since I was sick," Mokuba said, frowning.

Joey grinned while fiddling with one of his hearing aids.

"Sorry, man. I've been awful busy. Hey, I'm off this weekend. Why don't we do something together?" Joey suggested.

If he hadn't been distracted with fiddling with his hearing aid, Joey might have caught the mischievous gleam in Mokuba's eye. But it was gone by the time Joey had refocused his full attention on the youth.

"Well…Seto and I are going to the fair. But he said I could bring a friend. He even said I could invite you and everything," Mokuba explained.

Joey cracked a grin. Seems him and Kaiba were on better terms these days.

"Okay. Sounds like fun. What time ya guys goin'?" Joey asked.

"We'll be there at eleven by the cotton candy. Seto has to take care of a few things here and then we'll meet you there," Mokuba said.

Joey frowned.

"I can give ya a ride and yer brother can catch up with us if you want. You know, so you're not bored," Joey offered.

Mokuba turned around to face away from Joey so the blonde didn't seen him grinning.

"No. No, that's okay, Joey. I'll ride with Seto."

Joey smiled. "Okay. I'll see you there."

Mokuba said his goodbyes and dashed upstairs to his brother's office. Seto was on the phone and held up a hand to indicate for Mokuba to wait. The youth plopped down on the couch in his brother's office and waited patiently. Before long, Seto was hanging up the phone with a heavy sigh.

"That man _never_ knows when to shut up," Seto groaned.

Mokuba chuckled. "Mr. Sato again?"

Seto groaned again as he stood up, rolling his head and rubbing the back of his neck. Mokuba smiled as he stood.

"Maybe next time you should use the headset your secretary gave you last year," Mokuba suggested.

"I may have to. Are you ready to go?"

Mokuba nodded.

"Give me a minute."

Mokuba watched his brother as he started packing his bag.

"Soooo I talked to Joey," Mokuba said.

Seto raised an eyebrow as he gently placed his laptop in his bag.

"And will he be joining us Saturday?" Nod. "And he's okay with giving you a ride?"

Mokuba grinned.

"Yes! Joey was glad to take me. We'll meet you there at eleven by the cotton candy."

Seto nodded. "Good."

/…/

It was easy to spot the tall brunette. However, he was a little surprised not to find his shorter brother.

"I'm only like a minute late. Don't tell me the kid went lookin' for me," Joey said in greeting.

Seto turned and frowned at him.

"He told me he was riding with you."

Joey stopped short in front of him. His face scrunched up.

" _He_ told _me_ he was coming with _you_."

Comprehension suddenly dawned on both their faces. They had been set up by Mokuba. For what reason, they didn't know. Just then their phones went off silumtaneously. Seto pulled opened his jacket to pull his out from an inner pocket. Joey tugged his phone out of his back jeans pocket.

 **Mokuba**

 **11:05 AM**

 _ **Hi Joey! Hi Big Brother! Enjoy your date!**_

Seto's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. He glanced up from his phone to catch Joey's reaction. The blonde blinked, re-read the text, and blinked again. Seto shook his head.

"Mokuba is being silly. I apologize for wasting your time," Seto said, putting his phone away.

Joey frowned.

"Ya ain't wastin' my time, Kaiba. Besides, it's a nice day out and so what if the kid calls it a date?" Joey replied.

Seto shook his head. He turned and started walking away.

"I'll see you at school, Wheeler."

"What's the matter, Kaiba? Afraid?"

Joey knew he struck the right nerve when Kaiba suddenly stopped walking. He slowly turned around to reface Joey. It was hard to tell what the other male was thinking by the look on his face.

"Afraid of what? You?" Kaiba asked in a non-threatening tone.

Joey smiled. "No. Afraid of a _date._ Of letting yourself try somethin' new. Being free for the day."

Kaiba seemed to consider his words before a small smile – not a smirk! – swept across his face. He nodded slowly.

"Very well. Where would you like to start, _dear?_ "

Joey cracked a big grin. "Wherever you want… _darling._ "

They started with a small lunch before getting up and walking. For the most part, the two walked and talked. Well, Joey did most of the talking. Seto listened patiently while adding a few comments in there. As they wandered, playing a game or two along the way, Seto found himself opening up.

"You'll have to forgive me if I am a boring "date". The last date I was on was…"

"Last February?"

Seto raised an eyebrow as he stopped short and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Now _how_ would _you_ know _**that**_?"

Joey's cheeks tinted pink.

"I was in between jobs and one of my pals got me a temp job working at this really classy restaurant. I was bussing tables when I spotted ya across the restaurant with your date," Joey said.

Seto stared a hole into him. He noticed Joey was now looking everywhere, but at him.

"That "date" did not end how I expected it to. Did you have something to do with that?" Seto asked.

Joey full out turned his head away which gave Seto his answer. He slid closer into the blonde's personal space and snagged Joey's hand in his so he couldn't run. Using their connected hands, Seto pulled him closer. He dropped his voice to a low whisper, but to a degree he knew Joey could hear.

" _You_ _ **did**_ _do something. Tell me_ ," Seto murmured with a neutral tone of voice.

Joey bit his bottom lip. Seto could feel Joey's hand clench in his. He turned inward towards Joey in facing away from the crowd.

" _I'm not angry. Only curious._ "

Joey sighed. He wasn't sure if it was the knowledge that Seto was only curious or the warm hand squeezing his, but he found himself spilling the beans.

"Well…"

 _It was easy to spot Kaiba. He was sitting with another guy he hadn't seen before. Joey suspected they were on a date, but it didn't matter to him. He wasn't close enough to hear what they were talking about, but Kaiba's body language was practically screaming at him._

 _His body was tense and he had a fist clenched just out of sight from his date. The other male seemed oblivious as he prattled on about who knows what. After a few minutes and as Joey moved over to the table behind them out of Kaiba's sight, the CEO suddenly stood up. As he left the table, Joey glanced after him to see him heading towards the bathroom._

 _The date looked at Joey and waved him over. Resisting a sigh, Joey came over._

" _Can I help you, Sir?" he asked._

" _Yes. You may take our plates away. My date and I are finished," the male said with a slight accent._

 _Joey glanced down at the table. The lids were still off on Kaiba's meal and the chopsticks were resting on the plate, not in their resting place. Joey didn't see either thing done with the other male's things, but he suspected the accent meant he didn't know Japanese etiquette. Joey took away his meal, but left Kaiba's._

 _The other male scoffed at him and snapped his fingers angrily at the blonde._

" _I said to take_ _ **both**_ _our plates away," he sneered._

 _Joey glared as he set the male's plates back down. He put his hands on the table and leaned down in the guy's personal space._

" _Clearly, you are a bigger idiot than ya look, pal. First of all, anyone that knows_ _ **jack**_ _about eating in a proper Japanese restaurant would know how to properly show you're done. If Kaiba was done, he would show it and he hasn't so I ain't touchin' his stuff."_

 _The male looked ready to protest, but Joey made a warning growl and his mouth clicked shut._

" _Second of all, Kaiba barely tolerates this fancy kinda place for business. I doubt it was his idea to even come here which means you probably know all about the big bucks he's packing so you figured 'Let's pick the most expensive place in the area and have_ _ **him**_ _pick up the bill.'"_

 _The male turned his head away. Joey suppressed another growl. He may not care for Kaiba, but he wasn't going to let someone try to pull something over on him. Joey moved so the guy would have had to be an owl to crane his head away._

" _Listen here, pal. No one, especially someone like Kaiba, deserves to be treated like that. So_ _ **you**_ _are going to pick up the bill and you're going to apologize for being a piss poor date."_

 _He had seen how the man had treated the poor waitress earlier. After the male nodded frantically to his demands, Joey stormed away with his tub full of dishes. When he came back out of the kitchen, he spotted Kaiba and his date leaving._

Joey was surprised when he felt Kaiba's body tremble. He turned his head to find Seto not only smiling, but releasing a small chuckle.

"His name was Sergio and he _was_ an idiot. At Mokuba's insistence, that was our _second_ date. At _my_ insistence, it was the _last._ Your words must have struck a chord because not only did he pay for the meal, he tried to _generously_ tip our waitress. The poor woman looked ready to cry. I informed him of his need to brush up on Japanese etiquette," Seto explained.

Joey shook his head with a low chuckle. He hadn't known all that.

"You confuse me."

Joey turned his head to fully face Seto. He still held the other male's hand.

 _Join the club,_ Joey thought.

"Why say anything? It was none of your business," Seto said bluntly.

Joey shrugged to which he received a rough squeeze on his hand. He grunted with discomfort before opening his mouth.

"I know you ain't had the best luck down the road in the past and I know we've had our differences…but no one deserves to be treated like that. Why should you be treated any different than a regular date just because you make the big bucks? How are you supposed to trust anyone?"

Wheeler's words rang true in his ears. Those he trusted the most were the people who treated him like a normal person. People like his brother and Hawk.

 _And Wheeler,_ Seto thought.

Realizing he still held Wheeler's hand, Seto released it. They continued their walk. This time, Seto found himself talking more. Joey was a good listener. He found himself walking closer to the brunette, even brushing up against him several times. Either one could have easily put it off as Joey trying to be closer to he could hear the brunette better.

Joey discovered Seto had quite the sense of humor when he let go. He shared jokes he heard around the office and was rewarded with the deep laugh of the young CEO. Seto wound up sharing a few of us. Some of them Joey had heard, but he still laughed.

After walking around the fair several times, they found it was getting late in the afternoon. When Seto discovered Joey had taken the bus to get there, he offered to give him a ride home. Not one to be rude, Joey graciously accepted.

Joey was nervous at first. After all, he had never personally been in a car where Seto was the one driving. Despite nearly been run over many a time at school by the guy, Joey found that Seto was a safe driver. His phone was off and away while he obeyed all speeding and traffic rules.

"Would you mind if I played some music?" Seto asked nicely.

Joey shook his head. "Go for it."

Now Joey assumed Seto would either play classical music or something completely opposite of him like rap…or polka. Joey was pleasantly surprised when soft jazz music emitted from the speakers. Jazz was one of his favorite music genres. They rode in silence, allowing the music to be the only sound in the car.

After they arrived back at the apartment complex, Seto locked the car and walked up to the apartment with Joey. They stopped outside the apartment when Joey turned back to face Seto.

"Thanks for the fun time, Kaiba. It was…nice," Joey said.

Seto smirked.

"Considering how much we've gone through in this year alone, I think you've more than enough earned the right to call me by my given name," Seto replied.

Joey had to think for a minute to process what he had just heard.

"Call you Se-to?" Joey asked.

He made a face as it had been hard to not stumble over the name. Seto chuckled.

"Yes. As I'm sure you won't mind me addressing you by yours, Jo…ey."

Joey laughed as Seto made a face like he had swallowed something sour. He had had just as much trouble with calling Joey by _his_ given name.

"Ah-ha! You did it, too," Joey said, pointing his finger at the other.

Seto gently batted his hand away with a smile teasing at his lips. Seto started to add an extra comment, but a sudden crack of thunder made them both jump. They walked over to a nearby window where they discovered the mother of all downpours cascading down on the city.

" _Oh no._ "

Joey looked at Seto. He was thinking along the same lines. There would be no way he could – or should! – try driving home. As if reading their minds, Mokuba suddenly rung up Seto's phone. Mokuba was so loud Joey could almost hear him clear as day.

" _Big Brother, it's supposed to rain all night!_ _ **Please**_ _don't try driving home!_ "

"I won't," Seto reassured him. "I promise. You know I wouldn't drive in something like this and I wouldn't expect any of our Security to come either."

Not wanting to interrupt the two, Joey tapped out a message on his phone and held it out in front of Seto's face. Seto read it as he was listening to Mokuba. He nodded his head at Joey before following him back to his apartment door.

"Mokuba, listen, Joey's offered to let me stay the night in his spare room. I will leave in the morning."

Seto didn't pick up on how easily he had said Joey's name when he wasn't overthinking it and Joey was too far away at his apartment door to have heard him. Joey unlocked the door and slipped inside, leaving the door cracked open for Seto.

"… _That's great, Seto! Tell Joey thank you for me._ " Pause. " _Have a good night, Big Brother._ "

Seto smiled.

"I will. I'll see you tomorrow, Mokuba."

Seto hung up the phone and disappeared inside Joey's apartment. He was hit with a big wave of mouth-watering scents.

" 'm makin' dinner. Should be 'bout an hour to be ready," Joey's voice called from the kitchen.

Seto smiled as his stomach gave a small rumble. He would close to accusing Joey of being able to read his mind. He walked around to the dining room table where a puzzle was being put together. The box was propped up at a corner of the table so the full image of the puzzle could be seen. It was a massive puzzle of butterflies with many tiny pieces.

Seto knew better than to try and help someone in the kitchen. Too many chefs in the kitchen created a mess. So he sat down at the table and started working. Joey glanced out of the kitchen from his position over the stove, a smile teasing at his lips.

The taller male looked relaxed at searching for pieces and matching up. Joey realized Seto was a lot like him when it came to puzzles. He first started working on the outside edge to get the large frame. While Joey worked on dinner, Seto worked on the puzzle. During short times when Joey was waiting on something, he joined Seto in completing the puzzle.

When dinner was done, they ate in the kitchen standing up. They chatted, laughed, and enjoyed the dinner. After eating, Joey packed away the leftovers and Seto helped him with the dishes. By that time, it was still too early in the evening. The downpour kept changing between barely being able to see out the window to a light shower.

They decided to watch a movie. Joey leant Seto a pair of pajamas that were too big for him. They fit Seto just right. They looked through Joey's selection of movies and finally decided on one. Joey popped it in and dropped down on the couch beside Seto. He pulled a blanket down from the back of the couch to drape over both their laps.

Joey turned up the volume and took out his hearing aids. He opened his battery doors and set the hearing aids in his case. He propped his legs up on the coffee table. Seto had wanted to do the same, but not seem rude. Seeing as Joey did it, Seto followed suit.

As the movie started, they leaned against one another. It was a comfortable weight and the heat on the side where they connected and the blanket was just enough warmth. At some point, Seto moved his arm to rest across the back of the couch and Joey slid right into the open space up against him.

By the time the credits were rolling, both young males had fallen asleep. The day had caught up to them and the couch was so comfortable. They slept with Joey now curled up more on Seto's chest with Seto's arm having fallen down to rest just around his back. They slept peacefully through the entire night.

 **END OF CHAPTER TWENTY**


	21. Chapter 21

**Talyak:** Total set up. Lol Just wait until you read what I have in store next.

 **Sky-kaijou:** Thanks!

 **Kittona:** If you thought that was super cute, wait until you read what I have in store for this new chapter.

 **Staravia2.0:** Here is my new update! Sorry for the lengthy wait.

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

It had only been a week and a half since his date with Kaiba. Joey glanced up from his math notes to stare at the back of Kaiba's head. It had been a shocker to find out his kid brother had set them up, but Joey had decided to take it in stride. He was still surprised Kaiba had taken him up on his challenge.

The bell ringing jerked him violently out of his thoughts. His heart beating mad, Joey took a deep breath and started packing his things away. He was standing up when Yugi approached him.

"Is everything okay, Joey?" Yugi asked.

Joey nodded.

"Yea. Yea, I'm good, Yug'. Why ya ask?" Joey asked.

Yugi frowned.

"You looked like you were staring at Kaiba. Are you sure something isn't bothering you?" Yugi questioned.

Joey shook his head.

"Nah, I'm good. Jus' thinkin' about somethin'. Nothin' fer ya to worry 'bout," Joey replied.

Yugi wasn't sure if he should believe his best friend, but chose not to voice his doubts.

"Okay. I'll see you at lunch, then," Yugi said.

The rest of the morning was spent the same as Math class. Joey tried, but failed several times to get Kaiba's attention during English class. Finally, the lunch bell rang. Joey lost Kaiba in the chaos of students. Thankfully, he knew where he could find the taller male. On Wednesday's, he tended to eat outside and away from everyone else.

As he approached the table Kaiba chose for that day, Joey felt his heart pounding in his ears. His hands got sweaty and he wrung his hands together. His voice froze in his throat when he stopped at the table and Kaiba's gaze lifted to him. Kaiba gave him a neutral look of 'What do you want'?

"Hi," was all Joey could manage.

Kaiba let a small smile sneak onto his face. The kind that knew that wasn't what Joey had meant to say.

"Hi," he repeated back.

Joey took a deep breath and exhaled. That seemed to help re-find his courage.

"I had a good time at the fair," Joey said.

Kaiba's grin grew a little more as he set his pen down to give Joey his full attention.

"I did as well," Kaiba replied.

Joey grew hopeful with that response.

"I was just wunderin' if…youwantedtogooutonFriday."

He could see the gears running in Kaiba's head as he processed Joey's rush of words. Finally, the answer came.

"No."

That dropped the wind out of Joey's sails. It had been a long shot, but he understood. He stepped back from the table.

"Yea, yea, I understand. You know, prob'ly bes' with me workin' fer ya and all. Ferget I asked," Joey said, turning and walking away.

" _Joey!_ "

Joey stopped dead. Had Kaiba just said his name? His _first_ name? Without stumbling over it? He turned around to see a smirking CEO. He did!

The CEO beckoned him back and gestured for him to sit down across from him. Joey swung his legs over and sat down on the bench. Seto crossed his arms in front of them and leaned forward on him. Joey mirrored him.

"You did _not_ give me ample time to _finish_ what I was going to say. I'm not available Friday, but I am free this weekend," Seto explained softly.

Joey let out a big sigh of relief, earning him a small chuckle from Seto.

"As for the absurd crap fest you just spewed…I don't give a flying _fuck_ what others think. My personal life is exactly that. _Personal._ And if we want to discuss technicalities, yes, you work for Kaiba Corp. However, you work for _Hawk's_ Department."

Joey nodded. He was shocked to have heard the other male curse, but he understood the male's opinions on his dating and Joey working for him. They sat and talked while having lunch, hamming out the details of their next date. Unknown to them, Joey's friends stood inside the cafeteria staring out the window.

"I'm confused," Ryou said.

Yugi nodded. "Me too."

Yami tilted his head to the side while Tristan's jaw hung openly. Duke was openly smirking. He chuckled.

"Well, that explains a lot," he said.

All their heads snapped to the side to look at him. Tristan's jaw clicked shut before he jerked his head to the side.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded.

Duke crossed his arms and turned away to walk off. Tristan, wanting an answer, darted after him.

"Wait! Duke! What do you mean?!"

/…/

When Joey had said he wasn't good at bowling, Seto thought he might be exaggerating. After watching Joey throw the ball a few times, he realized the other male may haven't warned him enough. He winced as Joey rubbed his wrist.

"I warned ya I'm not good," Joey said with a sad smile.

Seto made an hmm sound in the back of his throat as he stood.

"On your next turn, I'll watch you better and see if I can help, okay?" Seto asked.

Joey nodded. He sat down and watched as Seto bowled. The taller male had a wicked curve when he threw the ball. He only left a single pin standing. Joey muffled a chuckle at the annoyed look the CEO shot the pin. The second throw ensured that pin didn't remain standing.

They had agreed on good frames, they did a sideways fist bump and this was no different. This time, when Joey stepped up to grab his ball, Seto stood and watched him carefully. He was surprised by what he discovered watching the male closely with his throw. Luckily, it was an easy fix.

Joey smiled when Seto stepped up to him. The taller male explained the problem he was having. Joey was grasping the ball with the wrong fingers. He had been using his thumb, pointer, and middle finger whereas his fingers needed to be thumb, middle, and ring. Luckily, the ball he was using still fit his fingers.

The second throw was extraordinarily better as it sailed straight down the lane and took out some pins. Seto smiled at how bright Joey's face lit up. Joey surprised him when he pulled him into a hug. He whispered a quiet "Thank you" before letting go. Even after Joey had stepped away, Seto still felt the warmth from the hug.

It left his body tingling in a good way. They practically had the bowling alley to themselves. It allowed them to enjoy their date. Seto enjoyed sharing his bowling expertise with Joey, giving him tips here and there. Seto's phone didn't go off once and Joey had left his back at the apartment.

After enjoying a few rounds of bowling, they grabbed lunch. The original plan had been for the date to only be bowling and lunch. However, the two were having such a good time that they continued spending time together. Somehow, their date ended with them in the park.

A string quintet was playing from a small pavilion. Couples were spread out across the park sitting and listening to them. Seto and Joey were no different. They sat under a tree nearby which allowed Joey to hear the music better.

With his back resting against a tree, Seto sat with one leg stretched out and the other propped up. Joey sat in the open space in front of him with his legs laying straight out. He leaned slightly on Seto's propped leg. One hand lay in the grass beside him. His other hand was being held by Seto's hand in his lap.

The string quintet played song after song, gently filling the air with beautiful music. There was a gentle breeze drifting through the park so Joey didn't think anything of it when he felt something on the back of his neck. He sighed. It was such a nice day he never wanted it to end.

After the breeze had died down, Joey felt something against the back of his neck. He realized it wasn't a breeze but felt like someone touching him. Since there was no one else near them, that left only one culprit. Turning his head around, Joey raised an eyebrow at Seto in question. Seto raised an eyebrow in return along with a small not-so-innocent smile.

Joey smiled. He scooted back, closing the short distance between them. The hand released his in favor of an arm wrapping around him. Joey leaned back against Seto's chest, enjoying the warmth from the arm curled around his middle. This time, when the soft touch came, it was the unmistakable warmth of a kiss pressed just under his ear.

His face warmed like the piece of skin where the kiss had been placed. He hugged the arm close and in return Seto hugged him up against his body. They sat in companionable silence. They enjoyed the tranquil feeling in the air and the closeness together.

Later, as he was lying down for the night, Joey still had that warm feeling surrounding him. It was nice and helped him to drift off to sleep. He had no idea his date was feeling the same way as he laid down for the evening.

/…/

Joey and Seto had only been dating for a month when it happened. Seto wasn't surprised when he was approached by Yugi at lunch. Joey's ragtag team of friends had known since the first date. He sometimes sat with them at lunch with Joey, but mostly kept to himself during those times.

"Joey's not here today, Kaiba," Yugi said, wringing his hands out.

Seto had been late to school that morning. He had suspected as much when he sat alone at their usual table.

"I'm aware of that, Yugi," Seto replied.

Yugi gulped.

"Umm…when did you talk to Joey last?" Yugi asked.

Seto had to take a moment to process Yugi's question. He had been scheduled with business meetings all weekend long so Joey had joined him and Mokuba for dinner at the house late Wednesday afternoon. Joey had been scheduled for work yesterday so he had planned to meet him for dinner, but Hawk had informed him the male had called out sick.

"It's almost been a week." Pause. "Why do you ask?"

Yugi looked to be on the verge of a breakdown. That immediately put Seto on alert. He set down what he was doing and turned his full attention to the shorter youth.

"What is it, Yugi?"

"I got a call from Serenity last night. Their…their dad passed away on Saturday. Serenity hasn't talked to Joey since Saturday and I couldn't reach him last night or this morning."

Seto had flown up from the table at the mention of Joey's father. He checked himself out so fast the paper was probably still burning from his signature. He tried calling Joey, but it kept going straight to voicemail. He probably blew through a few red lights between the school and the apartment complex, but he paid it no mind.

Seto raced up the stairs to Joey's apartment. He rapped on the door sharply. He had hoped Joey would answer but had anticipated him not answering. Seto yanked his keys out and sorted directly to his apartment complex master key.

Upon entering the apartment, Seto had enough sense to lock the door behind him before searching for Joey. He found Joey curled up in his bed with his head buried in his pillow and his body wracked with shakes. There were no words Seto could offer, not that he thought Joey would really hear them right now.

Instead he offered what comfort he could by crawling onto the bed and pulling Joey into his arms. Joey either recognized the arms that held him or didn't care. He almost immediately rolled over, shoving his tear-streaked face into Seto's chest. One arm held Joey close while the other drew upwards so Seto could run a soft hand through Joey's hair.

Seto didn't know how long Joey had been crying, but it wasn't long before the blonde had cried himself to sleep. Seto didn't care how long he was going to stay. He was going to be here when Joey woke up. Even if the blonde didn't really want him there, he would be there.

 **END OF CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

 **Author's Note: I hope this didn't seem rushed. I'm 21 chapters in now and wanted to pick up the story a little bit.**


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